In a spirited address delivered ahead of the Chinese New Year, President Xi Jinping invoked the vigor and resilience of the Year of the Horse, calling on the nation to forge ahead on the journey of Chinese modernization, and his message of strength and optimism has resonated globally.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended Spring Festival greetings at a reception in Beijing on Saturday to all Chinese people at home and abroad on behalf of the Party Central Committee and the State Council.

Describing the concluding Year of the Snake as extraordinary, Xi said that China met difficulties head-on and made new progress in the face of a complex and volatile environment at home and abroad, elevating its economic strength, scientific and technological capabilities, national defense capabilities and composite national strength to new heights.

Addressing the reception, which was attended by over 2,000 people, Xi noted China's solid progress in various fields in the past year and emphasized several milestones, such as outlining the blueprint for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War, establishing the Taiwan Recovery Day, celebrating the founding anniversaries of the Xizang autonomous region and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and holding the 15th National Games in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

China put forward the Global Governance Initiative, successfully hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit and the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. These efforts, he said, brought much-needed certainty and positive energy to a world fraught with changes and turmoil.

Anti-corruption efforts also yielded notable results as the CPC steadfastly exercised full and rigorous self-governance, Xi said.

The year 2026 marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the CPC and the launch of the 15th Five-Year Plan. Xi called for advancing high-quality development, maintaining social harmony and stability, and consistently exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, in order to strive for a sound start for the next five years.

In Chinese culture, the horse embodies vigor, strength and resilience, symbolizing steady progress and enduring prosperity, Xi said. He encouraged the Chinese people to maintain high morale and forge ahead on the new journey of Chinese modernization in the Year of the Horse, which starts on Tuesday.

Zheng Zilong, a researcher at the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence, who attended the reception, said he felt deeply inspired after listening to Xi's speech.

"Over the past year, China has made remarkable breakthroughs in the field of general artificial intelligence. As a participant and contributor to this process, I feel proud to have grown alongside the industry and deeply encouraged by the country's emerging dynamism in this domain," he said.

Looking ahead to the new year, Zheng said he and his team will maintain strategic resolve and remain firmly committed to an independent and original technological path.

Dong Xiaoman, who attended the reception for the first time as a representative of emerging forms of employment, said that during her five years as a courier with SF Express, she has witnessed steady improvements in the industry, thanks to the care and support of the government and society.

Dong said she felt encouraged and proud upon learning that Xi took time to warmly greet delivery workers during his recent inspection tour in Beijing. "It shows that he cares deeply about those of us on the front lines," she said.

Resonance from abroad

Moiz Farooq, executive editor of Pakistan's Daily Ittehad Media Group, said Xi's Spring Festival address carried a warmth that resonated beyond policy language.

"Speaking at a time that holds deep cultural meaning for families across China and for overseas Chinese communities, he combined tradition with national purpose in a way that felt both personal and purposeful," Farooq said.

He said that by acknowledging the challenges faced during the past year while expressing confidence in the country's resilience, Xi struck a note that was reassuring and relatable, reminding people that progress is built through collective effort and shared determination.

Anthony Moretti, an associate professor of communications at Robert Morris University in the United States, said that the Chinese New Year can and should be celebrated this year by the Chinese people with full confidence.

Moretti said that President Xi used his address to remind the Chinese people that attention to high-quality development is paramount to continue advancing the nation.

Kang Ho-gu, director of the Sino-Korea Economy/Society Institute in South Korea, said that 2026 marks an important year for China's economic development, and that he believes the Chinese economy will steadily overcome challenges and that high-quality development remains central to China's strategy as it shifts to technology-driven growth.

"By advancing globalization, China will demonstrate resilience and vitality amid a complex and volatile international environment while solidifying its economic strength," said Kang.

Aruna Goonatilleke, president of the Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association, said that Xi's speech reflects clarity of vision, strong leadership, and unwavering commitment to the people of China. "We note with admiration the remarkable achievements highlighted. … These accomplishments further reinforce China's position as a pillar of stability and growth in the international community," he said.

Carlos Martinez, co-editor of the Friends of Socialist China platform, said that Xi's speech captures the essence of the current moment in China's development, and situates it precisely within the Chinese people's long journey toward socialist modernization and national rejuvenation.

Furthermore, Martinez said that Xi noted the vision of building a global community of shared future, in which the peoples and nations of the world cooperate to solve the common challenges facing humanity and our shared home, Earth.

Such a vision is highly inspiring and furthermore indispensable, at a time when some countries are pursuing the policies of hybrid war, aggression, threats, blockades, economic coercion and unilateralism, he said.