New Year’s Greetings for 2026: Remember These Key Words.

On the last day of 2025, at 7 p.m. Beijing time, President Xi Jinping delivered his New Year’s message for the 13th consecutive year via China Media Group and the internet.

For the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, this is an annual “appointment”—at the turn of the year, they listen in various ways to President Xi Jinping’s New Year message.

Between the lines lie experiences weathered by storms, as well as bountiful rewards; there are also next year’s goals and plans for the future.

A few keywords are worth paying attention to!

First: 14 billion yuan

2025 is the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan.

President Xi Jinping stated, “Over the past five years, we have pressed ahead with determination and courage, overcoming numerous difficulties and challenges, and successfully accomplished our goals and tasks, thus taking steady steps forward on the new journey toward Chinese-style modernization.”

China’s development has never been smooth sailing.

From the 2023 New Year’s message—“Through arduous and extraordinary efforts, we have overcome unprecedented difficulties and challenges, and every single one of us has had a tough time”—to the 2024 New Year’s message—“Everyone remembers how challenging this past year has been, yet we remain full of confidence in the future”—and further to the 2025 New Year’s message—“The current economic situation faces some new developments: there are challenges posed by uncertainties in the external environment, as well as pressures from the transition between old and new growth drivers”—and then to the 2026 New Year’s message—“The five-year journey has been truly extraordinary, and our achievements have not come easily”—China’s development is a vivid portrayal of weathering storms and ultimately seeing the rainbow.

After the “storm,” there will surely be a “view.”

From “the country’s annual GDP is expected to exceed 120 trillion yuan” to “the economy continues to rebound and improve, with high-quality development steadily advancing”; and then from “the GDP is expected to surpass 130 trillion yuan” all the way to “this year’s GDP is projected to reach 140 trillion yuan”—these New Year’s greetings over the past few years have vividly traced the clear trajectory of China’s development: 120 trillion, 130 trillion, 140 trillion—year after year, these figures rising steadily represent a vivid measure of our economy’s steady progress and, even more importantly, the resolute and vigorous footsteps we take on the path toward high-quality development.

Behind every achievement lies everyone’s hard work.

President Xi Jinping said, “All of you have striven with dedication and poured your heart and soul into your work, thus forging a thriving and prosperous China. I pay tribute to every hardworking and committed individual!”

Second: Innovation

High-quality development is inseparable from innovation.

Looking back from our current vantage point, it’s not hard to see that both the 13th Five-Year Plan and the 14th Five-Year Plan have placed “scientific and technological innovation” in a prominent position. We’ve focused on key areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and life sciences, and made strategic arrangements to strengthen efforts in tackling critical core technologies, building innovative systems, and enhancing the innovation capabilities of enterprises—thus fostering the emergence of a number of significant, original scientific and technological achievements.

In the proposals for the 15th Five-Year Plan, “technology” is mentioned 46 times, and “innovation” is mentioned 61 times.

Among the key objectives for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, as clearly outlined by the central authorities, are “a significant enhancement of the overall effectiveness of the national innovation system” and “rapid breakthroughs in critical core technologies in key areas, with a noticeable increase in the number of fields where China is keeping pace with or even leading the world.”

Abundant innovative achievements.

In the 2026 New Year’s message, it was noted that “technology and industry are deeply integrated, yielding a flurry of innovative breakthroughs; large-scale AI models are racing ahead in development, and independent chip R&D has achieved new milestones—making China one of the fastest-growing economies in terms of innovation.” It was also highlighted that “humanoid robots have unveiled their ‘kung-fu mode,’ while drones have put on a dazzling ‘fireworks’ display.”

Third: Work related to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan

In his 2026 New Year’s message, President Xi Jinping said, “Not long ago, I attended the opening ceremony of the National Games. It was heartening to see Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao working together in harmony. We must unswervingly uphold the principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems,’ support Hong Kong and Macao in better integrating into the country’s overall development, and ensure their long-term prosperity and stability.”

In recent years, Hong Kong and Macao have frequently appeared in President Xi Jinping’s New Year greetings.

The 2023 New Year’s message mentioned:

This year, I visited Hong Kong and was deeply gratified to see that Hong Kong is transitioning from governance to prosperity. With our unwavering commitment to fully implementing the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, Hong Kong and Macao will surely enjoy long-term prosperity and stability.

The 2024 New Year’s message mentioned:

·We must continue to support Hong Kong and Macao in leveraging their respective strengths and maintaining long-term prosperity and stability as they better integrate into the broader national development landscape.

The 2025 New Year’s message stated:

·On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland, I once again found myself by the banks of the Ao River. The new developments and transformations are truly delightful. We will unswervingly uphold the principle of “One Country, Two Systems” and ensure the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao.

In recent years' New Year's greetings, statements concerning cross-strait relations have also appeared repeatedly.

The 2024 New Year’s message mentioned:

·National reunification is an historical inevitability. Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait must join hands in unity and share the great glory of national rejuvenation.

The 2025 New Year’s message stated:

·Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family—no one can sever our shared blood ties, and no one can stand in the way of the historical trend toward the reunification of our motherland!

The 2026 New Year’s message stated:

·Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a bond deeper than blood—history’s grand trend toward national reunification is unstoppable!

Fourth: The “Yaodong Question”

“We must remain true to our original aspirations and mission, persevere with unwavering determination, and continue to provide excellent answers to Yan'an’s ‘Cave Dwelling Question,’ thus writing a chapter worthy of the people in this era,” emphasized President Xi Jinping in his 2026 New Year’s message.

Only when the Party thrives can the country become strong.

In December 2012, shortly after being elected General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping, during his visits to the central committees of democratic parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, referred to the dialogue about the historical cyclical pattern that had taken place in the cave dwellings of Yan'an. Since then, the "cave-dwelling dialogue" has appeared repeatedly in the General Secretary's important speeches.

In 1945, while answering Huang Yanpei’s question about the “historical cyclical pattern” from his cave dwelling in Yan'an, Mao Zedong said, “We have already found a new path; we can break free from this cyclical pattern.” He added, “Only when the people are allowed to supervise the government will the government dare not become complacent.”

This conversation later came to be known as the “Yaodong Dialogue.”

On November 11, 2021, at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping said: “After a century of struggle, especially through new practices since the 18th National Congress of the Party, our Party has provided a second answer—self-revolution.” On December 31 of that year, the “Yaodong Dialogue” made its appearance in President Xi Jinping’s 2022 New Year’s Address.

The Party Central Committee has decided to launch, throughout the Party, from after the Two Sessions in 2025 until July, an in-depth study and education campaign to thoroughly implement the spirit of the Party’s Eight-Point Provisions.

The "Notice on Conducting In-depth Study and Education on the Spirit of the Central Committee's Eight-Point Regulation throughout the Party," issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, clearly states that we must focus on addressing prominent issues that violate the spirit of the Central Committee's Eight-Point Regulation and its implementing rules. By drawing lessons from cases involving corruption triggered by unhealthy practices, we should strengthen warning and educational efforts, guide Party members and cadres to hone their Party spirit and enhance their ideological awareness, and foster closer ties between the Party and the masses as well as between cadres and the people. Through new achievements in conduct building, we will uphold the Party's advanced nature and purity, continuously win the trust and support of the people, and provide strong guarantees for further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-style modernization.

In his New Year’s message, President Xi Jinping said that we have carried out in-depth study and education on the spirit of the Central Committee’s Eight-Point Regulation, firmly established trust through practical actions, strictly governed the Party, and promoted self-reform by eliminating corruption and fostering vitality, resulting in a sustained improvement in Party and government conduct.

Reposted from: Communist Party Member