"President Xi's new year message is both inspiring and practical," said Bennett, "It embodies the President's work style, which combines broad strategic vision with meticulous attention to detail. This reflects the fact that meeting the people's needs and expectations needs more than empty slogans."

 

China's great achievement of development was made by the people and for the people, and among the people's most pressing concerns were education, employment, income, social security, health care, elderly care, housing and environmental protection, according to Xi.

 

The president also admitted that there were areas where the government's work fell short of expectations. Though progress has been made, he said, issues of public concern remain.

 

President Xi's meaningful speech demonstrated the "strong and unremitting" ambition of the Chinese government to work for the Chinese people's well-being, said Indrananda Abeysekera, president of Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation Association.

 

Xi said in the speech that apart from domestic commitments, China is ready to contribute to a more prosperous, peaceful future for humanity, in joint efforts with other countries.

 

"A community with a shared future for humanity is a very appealing concept. Such a community transcends differences in political values, level of economic development and cultural traditions," said Lucio Blanco Pitlo, a lecturer at the Chinese Studies Program of Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines.

 

China, the world's second largest economy, has been an important global player in providing public goods, and a facilitator of capacity builder around the world, said B. R. Deepak, a professor at the Center for Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in India.

 

The expert said Xi's remarks about upholding the sanctity of the United Nations, his commitment to multipolar world and his vision of building a community with a shared future indicates China's resolve to shoulder greater responsibilities in the global economic and political system.

 

"As China sums up its development experience of the last four decades, the people of the world would certainly look towards China to learn from its experiences. I believe China is more than willing to share it," said Deepak.