China's Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SARs) held solemn flag-raising ceremonies on Thursday morning to mark the start of the new year.
At 08:00, as the national anthem resounded, the Chinese national flag and the Hong Kong SAR flag were slowly and majestically hoisted at Hong Kong's Golden Bauhinia Square.
The ceremony drew attendees from all walks of life, who gathered to express their heartfelt wishes for Hong Kong and the motherland in the year ahead.
In Macao, honor guard from the Macao SAR Public Security Police Force escorted the national flag and the Macao SAR flag into the Golden Lotus Square.
As the national anthem was played, both flags were raised slowly and solemnly, fluttering proudly in the morning breeze.
Hong Kong, Macao hold New Year flag-raising ceremonies
Chinese President Xi Jinping's 2026 New Year message was a powerful reflection of China's resilience, confidence and forward-looking strategy in high-quality development, according to observers around the world.
International voices highlighted how the message, delivered by Xi on New Year's Eve, underscores China's remarkable achievements and its ambitious plans for sustainable growth through innovation and social development.
"President Xi Jinping's New Year's message was very inspiring. He vividly connected the nation's grand goals with individual and family life. President Xi said, 'No issue of the people is too small; we care for every leaf and tend every branch in the garden of people's well-being,' detailing Chinese modernization and common prosperity into concrete and feasible measures to improve people's lives, such as childcare subsidies, age-friendly renovations, and protection of the rights of newly employed groups. This clearly reflects the people-oriented development philosophy," said Ronnie Lins, executive director of the Brazil-China Research and Business Center.
Philip Laird, vice president of Trinity Western University in Canada, described the Chinese president's message as laying out a clear path for the country's future.
"President Xi Jinping's 2026 New Year's address is a powerful and forward-looking message that reflects China's confidence, resilience and long-term strategic vision. In his address, President Xi not only reviewed China's remarkable achievements but also outlined a clear direction for the future. China's innovation capacity has risen rapidly to the forefront of the world. Breakthroughs in areas such as digital technology, artificial intelligence, green energy, advanced manufacturing, e-vehicles, and space science reflect President Xi's strong emphasis on innovation as the primary driving force of development. This focus has laid a strong foundation for China's long-term competitiveness and sustainable growth," said Laird.
The New Year's message highlighted China's pursuit of innovation in particular. Jorge Heine, former Chilean ambassador to China, pointed out that this can also be seen the country's research investments.
"(Xi underscored China's) commitment to increase innovation and to increase progress in critical high-tech areas. And here, I would like to underscore one figure that is very significant, and that is the spending on research and development in China, which is now close to 3 percent of GDP, which is close to 600 billion dollars. So, this is a very significant amount, only surpassed by the United States. And it shows what President Xi refers to as the quality productive forces that are associated with high-tech development and that has been so important for the Chinese economy," Heine said.
Global observers hail Xi's New Year message
