Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for stability as China seeks to achieve a strong start to its 15th Five-Year Plan, saying the world’s second-largest economy has ‘withstood pressure’, according to Xinhua.
Xi made the remarks on Wednesday at a reception after paying floral tributes to fallen national heroes at Tian’anmen Square in Beijing to mark Martyrs’ Day, one day before China’s 77th National Day.
China marks National Day on Oct. 1 to commemorate the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
Xi calls for stable economic progress
Noting that this year marks the beginning of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, Xi said the economy had ‘withstood pressure, moved towards new and better development, and demonstrated strong resilience and vitality’.
‘We must adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, fully and accurately implement the new development philosophy … strive to complete the annual goals and tasks, and achieve a good start to the 15th Five-Year Plan,’ Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.
China has set an economic growth target of 4.5% to 5% for 2026. Factory activity in the world’s second-largest economy also expanded in September for the first time in three months.
Xi stresses foreign policy and Taiwan
Xi also stressed that Beijing ‘must adhere to an independent foreign policy of peace’ amid a world facing ‘turmoil’.
He said China ‘must deepen cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, resolutely crack down on “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, oppose external interference, promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, and advance the great cause of national reunification’.
China regards Taiwan as its ‘breakaway province’, while Taipei has insisted on independence since 1949.
Ceremony held at Tian’anmen Square
Earlier on Wednesday, Xi and other attendees sang the national anthem before observing a moment of silence for fallen heroes at Tian’anmen Square in central Beijing.
Nine large flower baskets bearing ribbons that read ‘Eternal Glory to the People’s Heroes’ were placed in front of the Monument to the People’s Heroes.
Yin Li, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and secretary of the party’s Beijing Municipal Committee, presided over the ceremony.
This year also marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army.
China will observe a weeklong National Day holiday from Oct. 1 to 7.
