Xi's New Year address hailed as 'heartening'

President Xi Jinping's 2025 New Year message, highlighting the resilience and upward trend of the Chinese economy alongside its commitment to global development, has drawn praise from experts worldwide.

They hailed the address as "heartening" and "a message of hope", emphasizing that China's focus on shared growth and peaceful engagement benefits not only its own people but the entire world.

"China's economy has rebounded and is on an upward trajectory, with its GDP for the year expected to pass the 130 trillion yuan ($18 trillion) mark," Xi said in the speech on Tuesday.

"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," he said.

Ukeru Magosaki, director of the East Asian Community Institute and a former senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, said China's development has a profound impact both domestically and globally.

Advanced economies are expected to achieve a growth rate of 1.8 percent in 2024, according to projections by the International Monetary Fund in October.

"Against this backdrop, China's projected achievement of around 5 percent growth in 2024 is remarkable, particularly due to its emphasis on fostering new quality productive forces, with the emergence of new business sectors, forms and models," Magosaki said.

Strong foundation

In a world where changes unseen in a century are accelerating, "China's contributions to global peace and stability provide a strong foundation", Magosaki said, adding that in the face of new realities, navigating challenges will demand even greater efforts.

Deniz Istikbal, an economics researcher with Istanbul Medipol University, said the speech again demonstrates "China's dedication to a global development vision characterized by inclusivity, cooperation, and a peaceful approach to international relations".

"This vision underscores China's commitment to promoting shared growth and fostering global stability," Istikbal said.

Istikbal said he expects the continuation of the development strategy and China's peaceful engagement with the world to help shape "a harmonious international order".

According to the General Administration of Customs, China's total goods imports and exports surpassed 21 trillion yuan in the first half of 2024, growing at 6.1 percent year-on-year.

"This positions China at the forefront of global commerce, reflecting its ability to maintain resilience and growth in a challenging international environment," Istikbal said.

Pius Nunda, a Kenyan economic strategist and business banking manager, described the speech as "heartening" for many African countries.

"Collaboration between Africa and China through the Belt and Road Initiative will create more resources for economic growth and development in the continent," Nunda said.

Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, president of the Pak-China Corridor of Knowledge and executive director of the Center for South Asia and International Studies in Islamabad, said the speech "is a message of hope, peace, progress, prosperity achieving the desired goals in 2025 through collective wisdom and holistic spirits".

The GDP projection of 130 trillion yuan showcased the vibrancy, sustainability and qualitative industrialization of the Chinese economy that is developing new quality productive forces as "new business sectors, forms and models have kept emerging", Khan said.

Xn Iraki, an associate professor at the University of Nairobi's Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, said the address touches on global issues and the position of China in global affairs while portraying the new year as "full of great prospects".

"May those prospects benefit not only the Chinese people but all citizens of planet Earth," he added.

Xu Weiwei in Hong Kong, Edith Mutethya in Nairobi and Shao Xinying in Beijing contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at jiangxueqing@chinadaily.com.cn.