Xi Jinping Extends Lunar New Year Greetings, Confident China Will Advance Further in the Year of the Horse
Beijing - Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered Lunar New Year greetings at a reception in Beijing to welcome the Lunar New Year. Xi expressed confidence that China will advance further in the Year of the Horse.
As reported by Xinhua on Sunday (2/15/2026), the New Year reception was held at the Great Hall of the People. Xi, who is also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended New Year greetings to all Chinese people at home and abroad.
He described the ending Year of the Snake as an extraordinary year. Xi said China confronted difficulties head-on and made new progress amid a complex and volatile domestic and international environment.
He said China has elevated its economic strength, science and technology capabilities, national defense, and composite national power to new levels. Over the past year, he said, China’s economy withstood pressure and sustained growth.
In his speech at the reception attended by more than 2,000 people, Xi highlighted China’s progress across various fields, from law-based governance, cultural activities, and ecological conservation to national defense.
Xi also highlighted several key milestones, including the formulation of the master plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), commemorating the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the designation of Taiwan Recovery Day, celebrations of the founding anniversaries of the Xizang Autonomous Region and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and the hosting of the 15th National Games in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.
He also noted that China put forward the Global Governance Initiative and successfully hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit and the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women. These efforts, he said, brought positive energy to a turbulent world.
He also said anti-corruption efforts yielded significant results. He stated that the CPC exercises full and strict self-governance. He said the great achievements were the collective effort of the entire Party and people of all ethnic groups across the country.
The year 2026 also 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 the Party’s full and strict self-governance.
The Lunar New Year in China is marked by the Spring Festival. The Year of the Horse begins on February 17. Xi said the horse symbolizes spirit, strength, and resilience, representing steady progress and lasting prosperity.
Xi encouraged the Chinese people to maintain their spirit and keep moving forward on the new journey of China’s modernization in the Year of the Horse.