Tuesday, January 2nd., 2017
Xi Jinping in New Year’s Eve Speech: China Is ‘Keeper of International Order’


Chinese communist leader Xi Jinping assured listeners in his New Year’s Eve speech that “China has something to say” on international issues in 2018, promising that under his regime, Beijing will be a “keeper of international order.”
In a speech Chinese state media hailed as “encouraging” and “inspiring,” Xi promised to eradicate all poverty from China by 2020 and touted the nation’s “One Belt One Road” (OBOR) intercontinental infrastructure plan.
His assurances that China will be a powerful player on the international stage follow renewed criticism of China’s ties to North Korea after President Donald Trump accused Beijing of selling oil to the rogue regime illegally. Trump’s administration recently branded China a “strategic competitor” and accused China of economic dishonesty, regional belligerence, and contributing to the U.S. opioid epidemic.