President lays out nation's course for 2019

China will hold high the banners of peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes and push forward the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, President Xi Jinping said on Saturday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark as he addressed a New Year's gathering held by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing.

In his speech, Xi pledged efforts to support Hong Kong and Macao in integrating their own development into the overall development of the country and maintain their prosperity and stability in 2019.

He also vowed to work for the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, deepen cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation in various areas and promote the bonds of cross-Straits compatriots next year.

The country will continue to pursue supply-side structural reform as the main task, take tough steps to forestall and defuse major risks, carry out targeted poverty alleviation, prevent and control pollution, and coordinate efforts in stabilizing growth, promoting reform, adjusting structure, benefiting the public's livelihood, preventing risks and securing stability, he said.

The year of 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up, and the best means of celebration for that occasion is to unwaveringly pursue the deepening of reform and expansion of opening-up, he said.

A total of 1,932 reform plans have been carried out since the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee in November 2013, he said. "We showed our firm resolve to carry through the cause of reform and opening-up in the new era."

The year 2019, which marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, is a key year for securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, Xi said.

Stressing the importance of study, innovation and solidarity, Xi demanded efforts to both seize opportunities in development and deal with the challenges, as well as to inspire Party members and people of China's ethnic minority groups to keep fighting for new achievements.

Xi added that in the new year, the CPPCC should shoulder its responsibility to implement what is required by the CPC Central Committee and pool the wisdom and strength of Chinese people inside and outside the country for the realization of the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.

The New Year gathering was presided over by Wang Yang, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee.