BEIJING - President Xi Jinping, when reviewing the achievements made by the Chinese people over the last year, said time is the most objective witness.Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a speech to a festival reception in Beijing Wednesday, extending Spring Festival greetings to all Chinese people.Praising the achievements in developing the economy, deepening reform, advancing law-based governance, improving people's lives and fighting poverty, as well as the progress in national defense and armed forces construction, diplomacy on all fronts, and full and strict governance over the CPC, Xi said these progresses have propelled the vessel of China toward new waters.Xi said these achievements were made by the Chinese people with their own hands and generations of continuous hard work, expressing highest respect to the old generations of heroes, model workers, soldiers and comrades who had made contributions to China's national independence, development and prosperity.Noting that the year of 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up policy, Xi said over the last 40 years, China has taken the great leap from catching up with the times to leading the times.Xi said the 19th CPC National Congress held last year outlined the direction for developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era and charted the new journey toward the goal of building a modern socialist China.Facing a complicated international environment and the arduous missions of reform, development and stability in 2018, Xi called on the whole Party, military and Chinese people of all ethnic groups to rally closely around the CPC Central Committee, and work to turn the set guidelines, strategies and arrangements into reality with concrete and down-to-earth efforts. xl silicone wristbandscustom photo braceletdesign your own rubber bracelet onlinesilicone bracelets canadarubber bracelets custom
Shanghai must compare favorably to the world's best cities if it expects to become a shopper's paradise like New York City, London and Tokyo, according to the city's most senior official.The eastern Chinese metropolis will release a top-down development plan this year to create a world-class international hub for shopping, Li Qiang, Party secretary of Shanghai, said this week.Making 'Shop in Shanghai'a golden brand is part of the ongoing effort to open up further and undertake continual reform in the new era, Li said during a panel discussion of the Shanghai delegation to the ongoing session of the National People's Congress.Shanghai's mission is to represent China in international collaboration and competition, so it must be comparable to the world's best cities and have the highest standards, he said, adding that shopping is in the city's genes.More than 54 percent of global retailers have branches in Shanghai, making it third in the world behind only London and Dubai, according to CBRE Group, a commercial real estate and investment firm based in Los Angeles.More than 90 percent of renowned high-end brands have a presence in Shanghai, with many using the city as their China or Asia-Pacific headquarters.There is hardly an internationally known brand that cannot be found in one of our shopping malls, said Shang Yuying, director of the municipal Commission of Commerce. Yet, she said, Shanghai still trails other major cities.A report released by Master-Card in September ranked Shanghai 19th in the world for overseas visitors who stayed for at least one night in 2016 - 6.12 million - far behind New York City, London, Paris and Tokyo.The city should strive to create world-class shopping districts, an essential element for an international shopping hub, Shang said.Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road (in Shanghai's Huangpu district) are popular, but they can't compare with the likes of the Champs-Elysees in Paris or New York's Fifth Avenue in terms of global recognition, she said.Gao Yun, Huangpu's Party secretary and an NPC deputy, said the two shopping areas will get a face-lift this year to make them more attractive to visitors.Shang added that Shanghai should also protect and promote its traditional brands through innovation and global business strategies.?
