China closer to dream of rejuvenation

BEIJING - As the new year begins, Chinese people are more confident of realizing the "Chinese dream" than any other time. And they have good reason.

Since the transition of the Chinese leadership in late 2012, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has worked with his colleagues to better serve people and shoulder greater responsibility.

Over the past two years, Xi made more than 20 domestic inspection tours covering more than 20 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.

Wherever he went, he talked with ordinary citizens, trying to learn every aspect of people's livelihood, such as employment, education, medical care, housing and social insurance.

Following Xi, the other six members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central committee also stretched out to visit poverty-stricken regions.

In the last two years, China has continued its clamp down on corruption, including both high-profile "tigers" and low-level "flies."

A slew of senior officials, both in service and retired, have been investigated for discipline violations, including Zhou Yongkang, Xu Caihou, Ling Jihua and Su Rong.

About 100,000 cadres have been punished for violating the "eight-point guideline," and more than 700 typical cases have been exposed.

Since the "eight-point" guideline was introduced in late 2012, government spending has dramatically dropped and thrifty life and work styles are becoming popular.

China is also determined to promote the rule of law with a comprehensive reform plan adopted last year at a key CPC meeting.

Laws concerning environmental protection have been revised or are being revised, a move to build a harmonious relationship between people and the nature.

In the last two years, China has kept steady economic development. The country's total amount of trade in goods tops the world and its economic aggregate ranks the second with steady growth.

A series of economic reforms has been made by the new leadership to activate the economic market and improve economic endogenous force.

More than 700 administrative approval and property registration procedures have been canceled or streamlined, covering both private and state-run enterprises.

Xi explained the "New Normal" of the Chinese economy to the world as one where the economy goes from high-speed growth to medium and high-speed growth with a continuously optimized economic structure, and from factors and investment-driven to innovation-driven.

Signs of the "New Normal" have emerged. In the first half of 2014, growth rate of the services sector surpassed that of the manufacturing industry, a significant change in structural adjustment and transformation.

In the last two years, the new leadership has led the country to forge a new diplomatic philosophy as well. President Xi made 11 overseas trips by visiting 31 countries, and met with more than 100 visiting foreign state leaders or government heads.

Xi proposed the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road during his overseas visits.

About 50 countries have voiced willingness to participate in the "Belt and Road Initiative" to boost common development.

China is always willing to help its brothers in need. The country gave a helping hand to Africa where the Ebola epidemic is lingering.

China dispatched about 1,000 medical workers to the Ebola-stricken region and provided them with relief materials worth 750 million yuan (122.3 million U.S. dollars).

Chinese leaders have reaffirmed numerous times that China is a responsible developing country and is willing to achieve mutual benefit and common development with other countries.