According to President Xi Jinping on Sunday, the Chinese economy has become “more resilient and dynamic” in 2023, even though financial data is still dismal and the post-Covid recovery feels stuck.
In an optimistic New Year’s speech to the country, he also declared that China would “certainly be reunified”—a reference to Taiwan, an autonomous island that Beijing claims as its own and has vowed to conquer.
As the leader of the second-biggest economy in the world, Xi has faced many difficulties in 2023. His administration has had difficulty maintaining an economic recovery since abruptly abandoning its onerous zero-Covid policy a year ago.
