Full text of Xi Jinping's speech at 2023 Spring Festival gathering

We held a grand celebration marking the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. Hong Kong and Macao have remained prosperous and stable. We have been fighting resolutely in major struggles against separatism and foreign interference, maintaining the initiative to steer cross-Strait relations. We have vigorously advanced major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics and made many friends, providing the volatile global environment with stability.

The achievements of this year did not come easily, and were made by the Party and the people together. What has been achieved has shown that as long as the Party and the people stand together, think together and work together, no storm can shake our iron will, and no difficulty can stop our sonorous steps.

Comrades and Friends,

2023 is the first year to fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, with both hopes and challenges. We will take keeping stability the top priority, and seek progress while maintaining stability. We will better balance both domestic and international situations, coordinate epidemic prevention and control with economic and social development, and development with security. We will comprehensively deepen reform and opening up, strive to achieve an overall upturn in economic performance, and continue to improve people's lives. As long as we work hard with firm confidence, we will get off to a good start on our new journey.