Expats in Yunnan speak highly of Xi's 2025 New Year message

President Xi Jinping delivers his New Year address in Beijing.

On New Year's eve, President Xi Jinping delivered his 2025 New Year message, and expats in Yunnan province and beyond spoke highly of the message at interviews with Yunnan Daily reporters.

Some interviewees think that Xi's New Year message showed China's confidence and strength in jointly creating a better future for the world by cooperating with other countries.

Great progress in Chinese modernization

"President Xi Jinping's New Year message made me see the Chinese government's concern for people's lives and confidence in future development, and it also made me more confident and look forward to my life in Yunnan," said Tran Thi Thanh Nga, a Vietnamese.

Tran Thi Thanh Nga has lived in Yunnan for 10 years, and she believes that the province will get better on the new journey of Chinese modernization.

Yannick Benichou, a Frenchman who loves outdoor sports, decided to settle down in Kunming in 2016. Now, he's holding a permanent residence permit for foreigners.

Yannick said that from President Xi's New Year message, he can feel the strong pulse of China's development. "The transport facility between Yunnan and its neighboring countries is getting increasingly connected, and cross-border travel is becoming easier.”

With the implementation of the 240-hour transit visa-free policy, he believes that more foreign tourists will visit Yunnan and fall in love with the beautiful province.

Shangguan Jianfeng, president of the Brazilian Chinese Cultural Exchange Association, said that after listening to President Xi's New Year message, he was quite excited.

As an overseas Chinese, Shangguan will continue to bridge friendship between Chinese and Brazilians and promote mutual understanding of the two peoples.

Qian Hua, chairman of the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver, said that President Xi mentioned China's achievements in economy, sci-tech, people's livelihood and international cooperation in his New Year message.

Qian added the message made overseas Chinese confident in the development of their ancestral country, and he would like to contribute more to cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries.

Global efforts for a better future

Other interviewees believe that President Xi Jinping's New Year message focuses on the shared future of mankind, demonstrating China’s role as a major country in promoting world peace, stability, prosperity and development.

Bounthavy Khounvongsa, PhD student at Yunnan University’s School of Marxism Studies, said that Chinese modernization has provided valuable experience and enlightenment for countries all over the world, including Laos.

Bounthavy was impressed by some points in the New Year message, such as international cooperation and Belt and Road cooperation. He believes that such cooperations will help in friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation between Laos and China.

"President Xi mentioned in his New Year message that ‘China will work with all countries to promote friendship and cooperation, enhance mutual learning among different cultures, build a community with a shared future for mankind, and jointly create a better future for the world,’” said Htike Lwin Ko, Myanmar expert at the Yunnan International Communication Center for South and Southeast Asia.

Htike thinks this is the most important point that the New Year message sends to the world. Htike said that after listening to President Xi's New Year message, he had a better understanding to cultural exchanges and mutual learning between Myanmar and China.

Sophanita, a Cambodian student at Yunnan University, said that in a world full of changes and challenges, China, as a responsible major country, has been widely praised and supported for actively promoting reform in global governance.

President Xi said in his New Year message that "Dreams and wishes may be far, but they can be fulfilled with dedicated pursuit.” Sophanita thinks these words are encouraging to youth, inspiring young people to march forward on the road of pursuing their dreams.

Reporting by Liu Ziyu, Han Chengyuan, Wang Jingzhong, Li Ling, Yang Chunmei, Hu Lixian, Zhang Yinglin, Li Zha and Zhang Xiaoyu; Trans-editing by Wang Shixue