Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the ruling Communist Party to brace for a "long-term" struggle against a variety of threats, the latest in a series of warnings to a nation facing a slowing economy and a more confrontational U.S.
Xi said officials needed to display a "fighting spirit" to overcome challenges ranging from security concerns to financial risks, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. "The struggles we face will not be short term, but long term," Xi told a cadre training course Tuesday in Beijing, adding that difficulties would persist through at least 2049, the 100th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.
Xi opened the year by stressing the need to maintain political stability as the economy slows. China is projected to see the slowest growth in gross domestic product in almost three decades this year — a concern made worse by the trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump.