CHINA: Newly elected President Xi Jinping concludes China's annual parliament meeting

Record ID: 837884

  • Title: CHINA: Newly elected President Xi Jinping concludes China's annual parliament meeting
  • Date: 17th March 2013
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (MARCH 17, 2013) (REUTERS) SECURITY MARCHING ON TIANANMEN SQUARE SECURITY CHECKING CAR BELONGING TO JOURNALIST VARIOUS OF SECURITY STANDING VARIOUS OF DELEGATES WALKING TO GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE DELEGATES WALKING UP STEPS TO GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE JOURNALIST DELEGATE IN TRADITIONAL COSTUME HAVING PICTURE TAKEN DELEGATES WALKING UP TO GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING TAKING SEAT INTERIOR OF GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHERS DELEGATES SEATED FROM LEFT: FORMER PREMIER WEN JIABAO, INCOMING PREMIER LI KEQIANG, AND FORMER DIRECTOR OF PROPAGANDA DEPARTMENT LIU YUNSHAN DELEGATES VOTING SCREEN DISPLAYING VOTING RESULTS FOR CONFIRMATION OF WEN JIABAO'S WORK REPORT, FROM TOP READING "IN SUPPORT: 2799 VOTES, OPPOSE: 101, ABSTAIN FROM VOTE: 44 VOTES" DELEGATES CLAPPING CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY CREST FROM LEFT CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING, FORMER PREMIER WEN JIABAO, INCOMING PREMIER LI KEQIANG, AND FORMER DIRECTOR OF PROPAGANDA DEPARTMENT LIU YUNSHAN DELEGATES VOTING ELECTION RESULTS DISPLAYED ON SCREEN PHOTOGRAPHERS XI WALKING TOWARDS PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE PRESIDENT, XI JINPING, SAYING: "We must continuously realize, protect, and develop the most fundamental interests of the people and develop the entire country, and make the fruits of development include all the people in a fairer way. On the basis of the continuing development of the economy and society, we will progress forward in the direction of communal prosperity." GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS CLAPPING AS FORMER CHINESE PRESIDENT HU JINTAO BOWS (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE PRESIDENT, XI JINPING, SAYING: "We firmly oppose formalism, bureaucratism, firmly oppose hedonism, extravagance, and continue a resolute struggle to erase corruption. We will embrace the inherent political qualities of communist party members and vow to struggle for the cause of the Party and the people." ARMY OFFICERS CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL PARTY CONGRESS (NPC) STANDING COMMITTEE, ZHANG DEJIANG AMONGST GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL PARTY CONGRESS STANDING COMMITTEE, ZHANG DEJIANG, SAYING: "Continue our stance that everyone stands equally before the law and we must earnestly protect the sanctity of the authority of the rule of law. For whatever person, group or individual, their actions must be within the scope of the constitution and laws." GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS CLAPPING XI JINPING SHAKING OUTGOING CHINESE PRESIDENT HU JINTAO'S HAND VARIOUS OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND DELEGATES EXITING GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE
  • Embargoed: 1st April 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
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  • Country: China
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAC2IJOPT69Q53W5KSXJM6HJJMX
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  • Story Text: China's annual parliamentary meeting concluded Sunday (March 17) with a speech from Chinese President Xi Jinping in which he reiterated his promise to fight corruption and work in the "interests of the people."
    Security was high in and around Tiananmen Square as it geared up for the final day of the National People's Congress, which finally saw the official handover of leadership to the newly elected President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.
    Xi was formally elected president on Thursday (March 14) and Li elected Premier on Friday (March 15) completing the country's second orderly political succession since the Communist Party took power in 1949.
    Xi's concluding speech was made on Sunday morning in front of the various delegates of the congress which range from CEOS and generals to Tibetan monks.
    Members of China's previous generation of leaders such as former premier Wen Jiabao and former president Hu Jintao were in attendance.
    Xi stressed development would continue under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party "We must continuously realize, protect, and develop the most fundamental interests of the people and develop the entire country, and make the fruits of development include all the people in a fairer way. On the basis of the continuing development of the economy and society, we will progress forward in the direction of communal prosperity," Xi said in front of the world's largest parliament.
    Among Xi's remarks, he gave a special thank you to former President Hu Jintao, who will no longer be able to attend the annual NPC after his retirement.
    Xi's speech reiterated his firm stance against corruption.
    "We firmly oppose formalism, bureaucratism, firmly oppose hedonism, extravagance, and continue a resolute struggle to erase corruption. We will embrace the inherent political qualities of communist party members and vow to struggle for the cause of the Party and the people," said Xi.
    Xi has warned that a failure to weed out corruption and extravagance would put the ruling Communist Party's survival in jeopardy.
    The party has been embarrassed by a string of corruption scandals at its highest levels.
    On March 10, China unveiled a plan to cut cabinet-level entities by two and dissolve its powerful Railways Ministry in a bid to boost efficiency and combat corruption.
    Newly elected chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee Zhang Dejiang made closing remarks after Xi's in which he spoke of the importance of maintaining the rule of law.
    "We continue our stance that everyone stands equally before the law and we must earnestly protect the sanctity of the authority of the rule of law. For whatever person, group or individual their actions must be within the scope of the constitution and laws," said Zhang.
    China, facing a potential slowdown of growth, has said it would boost fiscal spending in 2013 in a bid to deliver economic growth of 7.5 percent for the year.
    Both Xi and Li will need to deliver a blueprint to stabilise the real estate market. They need to do this quickly to calm a market in which real estate prices have soared 10-fold in major cities during the last decade.
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