BEIJING — China's newly-installed president Xi Jinping said Sunday he would fight for a “great renaissance of the Chinese nation”, in his first speech as head of state of the world's most populous country. Meanwhile, the new Chinese Premier Li Keqiang dismissed hacking accusations against China. Xi called for “arduous efforts for the continued realization of the great renaissance of the Chinese nation and the Chinese dream”, in a speech to delegates at the National People's Congress parliament meeting in Beijing.
Calls for such a revival in the world's second-largest economy have been a motif of Xi's speeches since he took the top post in China's ruling communist party in November, but he has not given a detailed account of the phrase's meaning. He has close ties to China's expanding military and called for the armed forces to strengthen their ability to “win battles”, as it is embroiled in a bitter territorial row with Japan over islands in the East China Sea and disputes with neighboring nations over claims to the South China Sea. The speech also touched on corruption, which he has called a threat to the Communist Party's grip on power, and Xi urged delegates to “oppose hedonism, and flamboyant lifestyles, and firmly fight against negative and corrupt phenomena”. Xi stressed continuity with previous Chinese leaders, thanking outgoing president Hu Jintao and celebrating the past achievements of the ruling party. His speech formally brought the almost two-week long NPC meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People to a close. Meanwhile, the new Chinese Premier Li Keqiang dismissed hacking accusations against China as “groundless” on Sunday and said his government was committed to strong ties with Washington. Referring to allegations that China's military was behind massive hacking attacks on US entities, Li reiterated Beijing's statements that China is a major target of global hackers and opposes all such criminal activity. “I think we should not make groundless accusations against each other but spend more time doing practical things that will contribute to cybersecurity,” Li said in his first news conference in his new role. Li is the highest-ranking official to comment on the hacking claims made by US cybersecurity firm Mandiant that provided a detailed picture of alleged cyberspying carried out by a People's Liberation Army unit based in Shanghai. Li said that despite their differences, conflict between the world's largest and second-largest economies is not inevitable as long as the countries respect each other's major concerns and manage their differences. China's new leaders “attach great importance” to relations that meet the “fundamental interests of people in both countries and serves the global trend of peace and development,” Li told reporters at the traditional premier's news conference that follows the close of the annual legislative session.— Agencies
