Experts: New Year speech shows nation meeting responsibility as major country

President Xi Jinping's New Year speech has shown China's responsibility as a major country to advance global peace and development, and its resolve and actions to promote building a community with a shared future for mankind, overseas experts and officials said.

They also expressed their wishes for China to successfully host the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

"China has maintained a steady global influence and (received) acknowledgment for its contribution to fighting COVID-19," said Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist at Griffith University in Australia, in response to Xi's New Year address.

Budiman noted that China's vaccines and other international assistance have contributed to global efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in Asia and Africa.

"In that context, the most crucial point in President Xi's speech might be to restore cooperation between the two most significant powers in the world, Beijing and Washington, to strengthen the global effort led by the World Health Organization against the common enemy－COVID-19," he said.

French writer and sinologist Lea Bessis said she agreed with Xi's remark that "only through unity, solidarity and cooperation can countries around the world write a new chapter in building a community with a shared future for mankind". It shows China's firm resolve to promote global peace and development, she said.

In his New Year message on Friday, President Xi underlined the efforts of the Chinese people in building socialism with Chinese characteristics and a community with a shared future for mankind, said Professor Karori Singh, former director and emeritus fellow of the South Asia Studies Centre at India's University of Rajasthan.

Xi's message was full of applause for the commitment and optimism of the nation under the Communist Party of China's leadership, "which has successfully led the nation by representing and accomplishing the aspirations of the people," he said.

Singh said Xi's remark about having worked in the countryside and knowing "precisely what poverty feels like" shows the Chinese leadership's sensitive approach toward the people. Reducing poverty can elevate people's emotions and thinking. "That is why China could overcome extreme poverty by enabling human dignity," he added.

Pui Jeng Leong, a media veteran in Brunei, said China has achieved a comprehensive victory in eliminating absolute poverty, which is not only a Chinese miracle but also a major contribution to worldwide poverty reduction and global development.

He expressed his appreciation for Xi's remarks about China's contribution to global anti-pandemic cooperation, adding that the friendship and cooperation between Brunei and China in the joint fight against COVID-19 has set an example of mutual assistance.

Phay Siphan, chief spokesman for the Cambodian government, said Xi's speech reflected China's commitment to building a modern socialist country. "Xi's speech inspires people around the world to love peace, to jointly protect peace, and to work together for common development and prosperity toward building a community with a shared future for mankind," he told Xinhua.

Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based scholar, said he expected China will continue to shape the course of humanity in 2022.

Xinhua and Xu Weiwei in Hong Kong contributed to this story.