Xi Jinping: It is Necessary to Press Ahead with Implementing the Principle of “One Country, Two Systems” 

Beijing (ST) – The Chinese President Xi Jinping affirmed that intensive efforts should be made to press ahead with the principle of “One Country, Two Systems” and the cause of national unification. 

Xinhua quoted Xi in his speech delivered today as the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), as stressing that the country should fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts and accelerate efforts to create a new pattern of development. 

He said a people-centered philosophy of development must be implemented so that the gains of modernization will benefit all people fairly, and that more notable and substantive progress will be made in promoting prosperity for all. 

He said: “Efforts should be made to effectively upgrade and appropriately expand the economy, and continuously increase the country’s economic strength, scientific and technological capabilities and composite national strength”. 

Xi also demanded efforts to advance the modernization of national defense and armed forces on all fronts, and build the people’s armed forces into a “Great Wall of steel” that is capable of effectively safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests. 

On international affairs, he stressed China’s keenness to continue exerting concrete efforts to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. 

“China will devote its efforts to peace, development and mutually beneficial cooperation and to stand firmly on the right side of history, practice true pluralism, and uphold common values of mankind,” he said. 

Najla Khoury