Spring has arrived in China.

In Beijing’s breeze of March, the National People’s Congress of China (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which are often referred to as the Two Sessions, were successfully held.

Nearly 5,000 deputies of the NPC and members of the CPPCC gathered to discuss national affairs, and draft a brighter blueprint of development. The Two Sessions represent China’s lively practice of whole-process people’s democracy and are also an important window for the world to observe the development of Chinese modernization.

In 2023, in the face of an unusually complex international environment and the challenging tasks of advancing reform and development at home, the Communist Party of China brought together the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and led them in withstanding external pressures and overcoming internal difficulties with dedicated efforts.

After a major, decisive victory in the fight against COVID-19, we have ensured a smooth transition in response to the epidemic. The key goals for economic and social development in 2023 have been achieved, and we have made steady progress in pursuing high-quality development, and maintaining overall social stability.

Impressive macroeconomic performance

In 2023, China’s GDP exceeded ¥126 trillion (US$18 trillion), up 5.2 per cent and contributing to one-third of global growth. A total of 12.44 million urban jobs were created. Per capita disposable income of residents increased by 6.1 per cent, with per capita income in rural areas lifted from poverty growing by 8.4 per cent.

More than 50,000 foreign-invested enterprises were established, up 39.7 per cent year-on-year, demonstrating the global business community’s strong confidence in the Chinese market.

Against the backdrop of the tense geopolitical situation and the difficult recovery of the global economy, the Chinese economy maintains its remarkable resilience, potential and vitality, and its long-term positive fundamentals have not changed.

On this basis, the Chinese government has set this year’s GDP growth target at around five per cent, showing its confidence, pragmatism, and entrepreneurial spirit and determination. The solid foundation of the Chinese economy will surely stabilise global economic expectations and strengthen the confidence of global markets.

High-quality development moves towards “novelty”

President Xi Jinping emphasised that we must firmly grasp the main task of high-quality development and develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions. Today’s China is full of innovation and development dynamism. C919, a homemade airliner, went into commercial operation. A domestically built large cruise ship was delivered. Significant progress has been made in the research and development of high-end equipment such as aircraft engines, gas turbines, and fourth-generation nuclear power units.

Over 60 per cent of the world’s production and sales of electric vehicles have been conducted in China…China adheres to the concept of innovation, widely adopts new technologies and new achievements to transform and upgrade traditional industries, cultivate and strengthen emerging industries as well as to design and build future industries, and achieve high-tech, high-efficiency, and high-quality development. Looking to the future, China will lead the global trend of technological innovation while improving its industrial competitiveness and providing strong impetus to the development of the global economy. 

Major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has been fruitful

The year 2023 not only witnessed pioneering efforts but also great harvests in China’s diplomacy. President Xi Jinping hosted two major diplomatic events in China – the China-Central Asia Summit and the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, attended three multilateral summits, and made four major foreign visits. Building a community with a shared future for mankind has made new progress around the world. BRICS experienced a historic expansion. With China’s mediation, Saudi Arabia and Iran achieved a historic reconciliation, and a ceasefire agreement was reached in northern Myanmar.

This year, China will fully implement the results of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and make every effort to successfully host major diplomatic events such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the Boao Forum for Asia and the China International Import Expo, etc.

China will work with other countries to actively promote an equal and orderly global multipolarity and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation, insist on integrating China’s development with the world’s development, combining the interests of the Chinese people with those of the people of the world, and shoulder the responsibility of the times, face the challenges together and usher in an even better and brighter future for our world.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, as well as the fifth anniversary of the establishment of a strategic partnership and the signing of the cooperation plan on jointly promoting the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) between China and Jamaica. Last year, China remained Jamaica’s second-largest trading partner, up 25.8 per cent year-on-year to a total of US$1.28 billion. Large-scale cooperation projects such as hospitals and highways are making steady progress, and people-to-people exchanges in various areas have been fully restored.

Earlier this year, Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, successfully paid an official visit to Jamaica, opening a new chapter for China-Jamaica relations.

Both countries should take the opportunity of this visit and maintain the strong growth momentum, further intensify high-level bilateral exchanges, continue to promote progress in high-quality BRI cooperation, and further deepen friendship between the Chinese and Jamaican people.

Great successes have been achieved in the past and even greater progress will be made in the future. China will base on a new orientation and open a new pattern of comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the achievements of national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernisation.

China will also work with Jamaica to actively safeguard a multipolar world and economic globalisation, jointly defend developing countries’ legitimate interests and rights, and continuously deepen the synergies between our countries’ development strategies to build a more close-knit community with a shared future for China and Jamaica.