After viewing the 2017 New Years address delivered by Chinese President Xi Jinping, I believe he truly does care about the prosperity and future success of the People’s Republic of China. I think President Xi’s message was one filled with motivation and, to an extent, propaganda, to his people. In order to evoke a sense of comprehensive satisfaction, he essentially just listed accomplishments of China for a good part of his speech.
President Xi first touched upon the progress made with the 13th Five-Year Plan. He stated that China has made improvements in the development of society and economics. He also stated that there was a comprehensive reform plan that affected the supply side, national defense and military, and the judicial system, which resulted in more judicial fairness, social fairness, and justice.
President Xi emphasized pushing the forward the strict discipline of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and tackling the issue of corruption within the party, or “purifying” as he calls it.
The speaker later goes on to discuss several technological accomplishments. President Xi stated that the Aperture Spherical Telescope has been completed, and that the Wukong satellite has been deployed for a year now. Also deployed are the Micius Quantum Science Experimental Satellite, the Shenzhou II manned spacecraft, and the Tiangong 2 spacelab.
To evoke further patriotism, President Xi praised the Chinese athletes that participated in the most recent Olympics. Additionally, he mentioned several supposed improvements to the Chinese infrastructure, including citizenship approval for those that were relocated from rural areas, improved schooling conditions for children in poor areas, and registration approval for those who had no household registration. He expresses further concern for the poor, saying that he worries about their well being and their ability to work, learn, and obtain healthcare and housing.
President Xi goes on to talk about international issues and subjects, claiming that China was able to share its wisdom and proposals with the rest of the world community. In addition, he mentioned the launching of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. President Xi also passionately declared that China will stop at nothing to protect its territorial sovereignty and secure its maritime rights.
Alluding to the past, President Xi commemorated the 95th anniversary of the CCP, as well as the 80th anniversary for the Long March Victory of the Red Army. Looking into the future, he stated that China will initiate the 19th National Congress in 2017. President Xi concluded with the request that all 1.3 billion people in China would come together “with one heart”, and he extended that request even further to the international community.