Chinese President Xi Jinping, exchanging New Year greetings with Russian regime leader Vladimir Putin on Sunday, said the foundations of China-Russia relations will be strengthened in 2023, state media reported.
As staunch allies, Beijing and Moscow have strengthened their relations at a time when Western countries have turned their backs on neighboring Ukraine following Russia’s military incursion.
Both sides also highlighted the personal relationship between the two leaders, with Xi referring to Putin as his good friend.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, Xi said in a year-end summary on Sunday that the material foundation and public support for China-Russia relations had strengthened.
“Under our joint leadership, mutual political trust between the two sides has further deepened, strategic coordination has intensified, and mutually beneficial cooperation has led to new achievements,” the Chinese leader was quoted by CCTV as saying.
Xi noted that bilateral trade surpassed $200 billion ahead of schedule, and Beijing looks forward to celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral ties in 2024.
When Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin visited Beijing this month, Xi said maintaining close ties with Moscow was a strategic choice.
In his New Year’s speech, Xi spoke of a solid reunification of China
Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s address to the nation on Sunday that China will be finally reunified, state media reported.
“All Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be bound by the understanding of a common goal and share the glory of the renewal of the Chinese nation,” state news agency Xinhua reported.
Xi: China’s economy is more resilient and dynamic than ever
China’s economy has become more resilient and dynamic than ever, President Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s address to the nation.
According to the president, the country’s economy managed to survive the storm of 2023. The end of the year was full of challenges for the Chinese economy.
Official data released on Sunday showed that the decline in industrial activity deepened further in December. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in December the official index of industrial activity (PMI) was 49.0, which is below the 50 point threshold that separates an increase from a decrease. This is the third consecutive month of decline and the indicator is even worse than November’s 49.4 points.
China began lifting tough coronavirus restrictions in place three years ago in December 2022, giving the economy a chance to recover.
But poor business and consumer confidence, as well as the housing crisis and record youth unemployment, have blocked the recovery. At the same time, however, global demand for Chinese goods has declined.
In recent months, Beijing has announced a series of measures and a significant government bond issuance in a bid to boost infrastructure spending and boost economic activity.
However, the results so far have rather fallen short of hopes, and the PMI has shown a positive result only once in the last nine months.
There were some signs of life, however, with the world’s second-largest economy growing 4.9% in the third quarter, a better-than-expected result.
2023-12-31 13:52:00
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