President Xi delivers New Year speech for 2019

President Xi Jinping delivered a New Year speech Monday evening, calling on the whole nation to strive for "an unprecedented and great cause" in the year 2019, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Chinese people, who are self-reliant, hardworking and enterprising, have created a China miracle recognized by the world, he said, vowing to rely on the people and push forward the cause step by step.

Xi said: "We are all running very hard. We are all dream chasers."

Here are highlights of President Xi's 2019 New Year speech:

A sentence to describe 2018

2018 has been a full year, and we approached it with steadfast determination.

A sentence for 2019

2019 will see both opportunities and challenges that will require us to work together shoulder to shoulder.

Offering salute to those

Every scientist, every engineer, and every nation builder.

Who are often in Xi's thoughts

Comrades on the front lines of the fight against poverty, including over 2.8 million officials living and working in villages, and the local village leaders.

My heart goes out to the people living in hardship. I would like to wish all of them and their fellow villagers a prosperous and thriving New Year.

Who are most admirable people in China's new era

Nan Rendong, Lin Junde, Zhang Chao, Wang Jicai, Huang Qun, Song Yuecai, Jiang Kaibin, and the many other heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Whose work Xi appreciates

Deliverymen, street cleaners, taxi drivers, and countless others who are hard at work. We should thank these workers who contribute to the creation of our beautiful society. Their hard work is much appreciated.

What we have achieved in 2018

We made headway in our efforts to protect our blue skies, and to defend our rivers and soil from pollution.

National strategies such as the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area were steadfastly implemented.

I was pleased to see the bridge that brings together Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macao.

We successfully launched the Chang'e-4 lunar probe; our second aircraft carrier set sail on its maiden voyage; our domestically-made large amphibious aircraft performed its first water launch; and the BeiDou Satellite Navigation System has gone global.

Another 125 poor counties and 10 million poverty-stricken rural residents were lifted out of poverty.

We reduced the price of 17 cancer-fighting drugs, and included them on our medical insurance list.

In 2018, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up. We unveiled a comprehensive and systematic overhaul of both Party and State institutions. We launched over 100 major reform measures.

We held the first China International Import Expo and we hosted the annual Boao Forum for Asia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Qingdao, as well as the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

And began construction of a pilot free trade zone in Hainan.

More than 100 million people from our rural areas are gradually becoming permanent residents in our cities.

13 million have found jobs.

Construction has begun on 5.8 million new homes for those people living in dilapidated houses.

Many people from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan now have resident permits for the mainland.

Hong Kong has become a stop on our high-speed railway network.

What we are expected to do in 2019

In 2019, we will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Policies to cut taxes and fees must take root to ease the burden on enterprises.

We must show our sincere appreciation to talent of all kinds.

We must lend an ear to our officials at the grassroots.

To achieve our task of lifting another 10 million-plus rural residents out of poverty as planned.

We shall take better care of our military veterans who have done much to keep the motherland safe.

We will continue to push ahead with the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and continue to advocate for the development of a community of shared future for mankind.

And we will work tirelessly for a more prosperous and beautiful world.