On the evening of September 30 local time, a reception celebrating the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended and delivered remarks. While this is a routine political ceremony ahead of China's National Day, this year's event drew unusual international attention: it took place just five days after Xi concluded a three-day state visit to the United States, and it marked his first formal address on domestic economic conditions and the country's development direction following that closely watched round of leader-to-leader engagement. Reuters, Bloomberg and Hong Kong's South China Morning Post all reported that Xi projected confidence that China's economy could overcome challenges and achieve stable growth, while sending a clear political signal about the direction of economic work in the period ahead.

In his remarks, Xi reviewed the 77-year journey since the founding of New China, saying the Party has united and led the people of all ethnic groups in creating 'two miracles': 'rapid economic development' and 'long-term social stability.' Turning to this year's economic performance, he summed it up with the phrase 'pressing ahead under pressure, moving toward new and better growth,' stressing that China's economy has 'shown strong resilience and vitality.' That phrasing continues a rhetorical pattern Chinese officials have used in recent years when the economy faces external pressure, but some analysts read the phrase 'pressing ahead under pressure' as an indirect reference to this year's external headwinds, including US tariff pressure and a volatile and complex global trade environment.

On economic policy, Xi stated explicitly that, facing a complex and severe international and domestic environment, China must uphold the general principle of 'seeking progress while maintaining stability,' push the economy toward continued new and better development, genuinely safeguard and improve people's livelihoods, strive to meet the full year's economic and social development targets, and aim for a good start to the 15th Five-Year Plan. 2026 is the opening year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, carrying particular political and economic significance. At the 'Two Sessions' in March this year, China set its 2026 GDP growth target at a range of 4.5 to 5 percent — the first time Beijing has set the lower bound of an annual growth target below 5 percent, and the lowest such target in decades. Economists at several international institutions noted at the time that the comparatively conservative range signaled policymakers' shift 'from chasing high-speed growth toward high-quality development,' while leaving more room for structural reform and improved data quality.

On the Taiwan question, Xi reiterated the need to deepen cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, resolutely contain 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces and their separatist activities, oppose interference by external forces, promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, and advance the great cause of national reunification. That language echoes the phrasing in his New Year address earlier this year, in which he said cross-strait reunification was an 'unstoppable trend.' It suggests Beijing has maintained strong continuity in its Taiwan policy tone, without softening despite a period of easing in China-US relations. Observers noted that Xi's decision to raise the Taiwan issue alongside economic matters at the relatively ceremonial National Day reception was unusual, and was seen as sending a dual signal to the outside world: that both the broader development trajectory and the core principled stance remain unchanged.

The timing of this National Day address came shortly after a significant milestone in China-US relations. From September 23 to 25, Xi paid a state visit to the United States, reciprocating President Donald Trump's state visit to China this past May. It marked Xi's first visit to the White House in 11 years and his second state visit to the US as head of state. The trip was seen as another landmark event reflecting a trend toward stabilizing bilateral ties, following a provisional trade understanding the two leaders reached at the APEC summit in South Korea late last year that helped avert a further escalation of the tariff war. Just five days after concluding this high-level diplomatic trip, Xi chose to focus his National Day remarks on the resilience and stability of the domestic economy — a choice several foreign media outlets interpreted as a signal, both domestically and internationally, that China's economy 'does not fear external pressure and will maintain its own pace.'

Historically, the National Day reception address has long served as an important window through which China's top leader communicates the year's key policy priorities to the Party, the public, and the world. Compared with previous years, this year's address continued the long-standing policy tone of 'seeking progress while maintaining stability,' while placing greater emphasis on the phrase 'pressing ahead under pressure,' which carries connotations of responding to external pressure, and more explicitly linking economic growth targets to the launch of the 15th Five-Year Plan. Analysts say this is both a direct response to this year's external challenges, including China-US trade friction and the reshaping of global supply chains, and a form of political and public-opinion groundwork ahead of the 15th Five-Year Plan outline, which is expected to go before the National People's Congress at next year's 'Two Sessions.' The reception is typically chaired by the Premier of the State Council and attended by members of the Politburo Standing Committee, officials from the NPC Standing Committee, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the Central Military Commission, as well as representatives of democratic parties, independents, and foreign diplomatic envoys in China, making it a key occasion for observing China's senior political agenda.

For regions with close trade ties to China, the signals in Xi's address carry practical significance. Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, have continued to deepen trade and investment links with China in recent years: China-ASEAN trade first surpassed $1 trillion in 2025, and China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for several consecutive years. Against the backdrop of China lowering its 2026 growth target to the 4.5-5 percent range and emphasizing 'progress amid stability,' analysts say this suggests China's foreign trade policy and industrial cooperation will largely maintain continuity, while Beijing may also seek additional cooperation with neighboring countries in emerging fields such as clean energy, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, in order to offset pressure on its export-driven growth model from external uncertainty.

Overall, Xi's remarks at this year's National Day reception continued the political discourse long used by China's leadership, but the timing — coming right after the exchange of state visits between the Chinese and US leaders, and coinciding with the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan — gave the address a sharper sense of real-world relevance. The combination of 'pressing ahead under pressure' and 'seeking progress while maintaining stability' served both as a summary of the past year's economic work and a preview of the development tone for the next five years. Meanwhile, the reiteration of the stance on Taiwan showed that even as China-US relations have shown signs of easing at this stage, Beijing will not adjust its established position on core issues involving national sovereignty and territorial integrity because of shifts in the external environment. As fourth-quarter economic data for this year is gradually released, and as the 15th Five-Year Plan outline undergoes formal deliberation at next year's 'Two Sessions,' the international community is expected to keep watching how China follows through on this policy commitment to 'progress amid stability' amid a complex geopolitical landscape.