Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

Having gone through the extraordinary year of 2024, the diligent and determined Chinese people are tirelessly moving toward 2025, a year full of both challenges and opportunities. "As always, we grow in the wind and rain, and we get stronger through hard times. We must be confident." "Of all the jobs in front of us, the most important is to ensure a happy life for our people." "China will work with all countries to promote friendship and cooperation, enhance mutual learning among different cultures, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. We must jointly create a better future for the world." 

President Xi Jinping's 2025 New Year message embodies the spirit of unity, self-improvement, and positive progress of the Chinese people, while also demonstrating China's embrace of global cooperation and its deep commitment to advancing the cause of humanity.  

International mainstream media immediately seized on the key word from this New Year's message - "confidence." In the face of challenges posed by external uncertainties and the pressures of transitioning between old and new growth drivers, China has the resolve, boldness, and confidence to maintain its faith and overcome challenges. On the last day of 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced plans to build 10,000 factories powered by 5G and no less than 20 pilot cities for the integrated application of 5G + industrial internet by 2027, accelerating China's high-quality development. On the same day, the National Health Commission also unveiled eight key public service initiatives for 2025, including the "cancellation of outpatient prepayment," putting the philosophy of prioritizing people's livelihoods in Chinese modernization into practice. The Chinese people, with their steadfast determination and hard work along the established path, set the tone for China's endeavor in 2025, and instill valuable confidence in the world.

A vibrant and orderly China has unsurprisingly become a stabilizing anchor amid the global turbulence. 

President Xi's projections at the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference's New Year gathering - that annual GDP is expected to grow by about five percent in 2024 and that more proactive macroeconomic policies will be put in place next year - have been widely quoted by foreign media. The latest data shows that the three major indices, including manufacturing PMI, for December are all within the expansion range, validating the strong resilience of China's economy. Whether delivering positive economic results amid intense internal and external pressures or sticking to a high-level opening-up reform roadmap despite "decoupling" and supply chain disruptions, China's robust spirit and excellent execution provide the world with a sense of security and positive energy.

On the first day of the New Year 2025, the domestically produced large aircraft C919, adorned in "shining China red," made its inaugural flight on the regular commercial route between Shanghai and Hong Kong, marking a busier year ahead. Just a few days ago, the world's fastest high-speed train, the CR450, was unveiled. This year, China's Long March-8A rocket is set for maiden flight, and the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE), a joint space mission with the European Space Agency, will be launched. China's pace of independent innovation is accelerating, and a "new" and dynamic China is not only envisioning a more sci-fi-like future for us but will also significantly boost the quality and efficiency of China's economic development.

For China, 2025 is a significant year. The country will continue to deepen reforms at its own pace and fully implement the "14th Five-Year Plan." As the world's largest developing economy, China managing its own affairs well and seeking happiness for its people is the best manifestation of its sense of responsibility as a major power. At the same time, China is striving to provide "incremental" market opportunities for the world. Starting from January 1 of this year, provisional import tariffs, lower than the most-favored-nation rates, have been applied to 935 commodities, and the China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement has also taken effect, resulting in tariff reductions. These measures not only help to activate and expand domestic demand but also demonstrate China's firm commitment to opening-up, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation with the world.

In the new year, the international situation presents both foreseeable difficulties and unpredictable risks. In the face of prolonged geopolitical disputes and even conflicts, China will firmly be a force for peace, addressing uncertainties in the world with China's certainty, and will continue to play a constructive role in the political resolution of hot spot issues. Confronted with global challenges such as escalating climate disasters and the chaotic development of artificial intelligence, China will actively participate in global governance, contributing to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. In 2025, China's commitment to high-quality Belt and Road cooperation will not waver, and the principle of seeking the greatest common denominator for cooperation with other countries will remain unchanged. Moreover, the policy of opening-up, including the visa-free "circle of friends," will continue to evolve. Whether it is a diligent China or an open and friendly China, the ongoing resonance of values with the world enhances humanity's confidence in jointly building a better future.

"Dreams and wishes may be far, but they can be fulfilled with dedicated pursuit." In President Xi Jinping's 2025 New Year message, we witness both the storms and rainbows, the magnanimity of a great nation, and the determination of every ordinary Chinese person on their journey of struggle. China will never underestimate the difficulties ahead but will steadfastly pursue the path of Chinese modernization, enhancing its national strength and improving the well-being of its people. At the same time, it will consider the benefits to the world, resonate with it, and move forward together.