Beijing, October 18: At the opening of a top-level political meeting Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a sober assessment of the challenges facing the world's second-largest economy and its ruling Communist Party, laying out an ambitious vision that stretches forward to the middle of this century and pledging to build what he called a "modern socialist country" for a "new era."
In a nearly three-and-a-half hour speech at the opening session of the 19th Party Congress, Xi spoke confidently about the country's future and its opportunities. He also stressed that an increasingly strong Communist Party would continue to chart the path forward.
But such an effort is not without its challenges.
Xi has overseen a massive anti-corruption drive since rising to power five years ago, which has punished more than one million officials and led to the downfall of several high-ranking party members as well. He said the fight against corruption will always be in progress and is still the party's biggest threat.
In his speech, he spoke frequently about the struggles China's leadership faces, mentioning the word "struggle" more than two dozen times.