Xi Jinping (left), general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and the other newly elected members of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Central Committee meet the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua

Xi Jinping, who was elected general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee for a second term on Wednesday, introduced the Party's new central leadership to the world and outlined a five-year roadmap which stressed reform and opening-up, common prosperity and strict Party self-discipline.

Xi on Wednesday introduced the seven-seat Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee. The other six members are Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng.

Speaking to a room full of journalists at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi said 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of reform and opening-up and China will make determined efforts to comprehensively deepen reform and open still wider to the world.

"We will see that reform and opening-up complement and reinforce each other. It is my conviction that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will become a reality in the course of reform and opening-up," he said.

Xi also promised to realize common prosperity for everyone, adding that "the aspirations of the people to live a better life must always be the focus of our efforts."

Speaking of the Party centenary in 2021, Xi noted the CPC must continue to rid itself of any virus that erodes the Party's fabric. "As the world's largest political party, the CPC must behave in a way commensurate with this status," he said.

Xi's speech not only outlined a blueprint for China's development in the next five years but also demonstrated the new Party leadership's confidence and sense of responsibility, analysts said. 

"In his speech, Xi spoke of solid goals such as poverty alleviation and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020. The speech conveys a message that the new leadership are men of action and mean to achieve actual results," Zhu Lijia, a professor of public management at the Chinese Academy of Governance, told the Global Times.

Xi's speech also offered a reassuring image to the world that the new CPC central leadership is reform-minded and determined to open China further, Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the Chongqing Committee, told the Global Times.

On Wednesday, Xi spoke of the Party making a greater contribution to peace and development for all humanity. This was not part of his 2012 speech to the press after being elected general secretary of the 18th CPC Central Committee.

'Peace is precious'

The CPC and the Chinese people have gone through trials and tribulations, "and these experiences have taught us that peace is precious and development must be valued," Xi said.

"With confidence and pride, the Chinese people will be steadfast in upholding our country's sovereignty, security and development interests," he said, adding that China will work with other nations to build a global community with a shared future, and make new and greater contributions to the noble cause of peace and development for all humanity.

Domestic development remains the key focus of government work, said Qi Xingfa, a professor at the political science department of East China Normal University in Shanghai.

"But China's development is affecting many parts of the world," he said. "Speaking of peace and development for all humanity shows a sense of responsibility and demonstrates the greater vision of the Chinese leadership."

Online reaction

The unveiling of the new leadership became a top trending topic in Chinese cyberspace on Wednesday.

A video of the new Party leadership group meeting the press posted by the People's Daily on Sina Weibo received more than 44,000 likes as of press time, with many expressing confidence in the new leaders.

The topic of the 19th CPC National Congress was viewed 4.9 billion times and discussed in 8 million posts on Sina Weibo.

"Although many problems remain, compared with the rest of the world China has enjoyed social stability and a booming economy," Qi said. "Societal conflicts have declined in recent years and the country has been developing at a relatively sound pace. All these factors have contributed to greater public confidence in the Party's governance."

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