International scholars and policy experts have universally praised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s 2026 New Year message, characterizing it as a stabilizing voice of optimism amid global complexities. The address, delivered Wednesday evening through China Media Group and digital platforms, outlined China’s tangible progress throughout 2025 while mapping strategic priorities for the forthcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
President Xi emphasized that successful ventures originate from meticulous planning, underscoring the necessity of concrete efforts to advance high-quality development, deepen comprehensive reform and opening-up, and ensure widespread prosperity. The speech highlighted continuity in China’s development approach while addressing contemporary global challenges.
Jack Perry, Chairman of the London-based 48 Group promoting equitable trade relations, noted China’s consistent and confident approach to its next developmental phase. “China is not attempting to change direction abruptly. It is building carefully on what has already been achieved,” Perry observed, adding that clarity of direction represents China’s distinctive advantage in an increasingly fragmented global landscape.
Academic experts highlighted the speech’s nuanced balance between continuity and adaptation. Tom Harper, University of East London lecturer specializing in China’s international relations, noted the address reflects China’s focus on qualitative rather than quantitative growth metrics. Meanwhile, Karori Singh, former director of the University of Rajasthan’s South Asia Studies Centre, emphasized how President Xi acknowledged achievements while outlining strategies to address forthcoming challenges.
The address reinforced China’s commitment to global engagement, with President Xi affirming that China “continued to embrace the world with open arms” and remains positioned “on the right side of history.” Georgetown University’s Jack Midgley interpreted the message as projecting a positive vision for China’s future within a peaceful global framework.
Kuwaiti media commentator Charbel Barakat, head of international news at Al Jarida newspaper, emphasized China’s role as a stabilizing force through its development model. “By offering technology, investment and knowhow without political conditions, China is injecting new momentum into global growth and industrialization efforts in developing nations,” Barakat stated, noting that China’s commitment to multilateralism and win-win cooperation provides developing nations with an alternative to coercive international approaches.