In his New Year message, Xi Jinping says China will actively push for Belt and Road Initiative

China will actively push for the Belt and Road Initiative, President Xi Jinping said in his New Year's address adding Beijing would resolutely carry out reforms in 2018.

Talking about the reform agenda, President Xi said, “We will take the opportunity of celebrating the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening-up in 2018 to further carry out reform, as reform and opening-up is the path we must take to make progress in contemporary China and to realize the Chinese dream.”

According to state-run Xinhua report, President Xi said China's great achievement of development was made by the people and for the people, and that among the people's most pressing concerns were education, employment, income, social security, health care, elderly care, housing and environmental protection.

On international front, President Xi said "As a responsible major country, China has something to say.”

"China will resolutely uphold the authority and status of the United Nations, actively fulfill China's international obligations and duties, remain firmly committed to China's pledges to tackle climate change, actively push for the Belt and Road Initiative, and always be a builder of world peace, contributor of global development and keeper of international order," he said. "The Chinese people are ready to chart out a more prosperous, peaceful future for humanity, with people from other countries."