Xi’s Lunar New Year speech motivates nation

The Chinese President’s latest appeal for diligence and hard work has sparked heated discussion and spread inspiration and confidence across the nation.

This year’s Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Jan. 28.

Xi lauded China’s continued economic growth as well as the deepened reform it underwent in 2016, pointing to improved lives of the people, advanced rule of law and strict governance of the CPC, as well as progress made in the war against poverty.

China’s rural population living in poverty decreased from 770 million to 55.75 million between 1978 and 2015.A surplus 10 million people shook off poverty last year, and China aims to help at least another 10 million become members of the well-off society this year.

For periods, poverty alleviation has been a top priority on China’s policy agenda. Just this week Xi said, during an inspection tour to north China’s Hebei Province, that fighting poverty is the fundamental task in building an all-round moderately prosperous society.