Xi's New Year speech draws praise

President Xi Jinping delivers his New Year speech on Monday in his office in Beijing. He said joint efforts are needed as China faces opportunities and challenges alike in 2019.

What could China bring to the world in 2019? The answer, for Frenchman Nicolas Escamez, might be more imports of beef from France, given China's strong measures to boost opening-up.

Escamez, manager of the International Business Development Department of Terrena Group, said his company has a "pretty ambitious" goal to develop business in China after the country lifted the ban on French beef imports in July."All the products launched online are sold out," he told China Daily while talking about the company's Chinese market. China banned beef imports from France in 2001 when the European country was hit by an outbreak of mad cow disease . The lift of the ban on French beef imports is among China's increasing efforts to boost opening-up, as pledged by President Xi Jinping in recent years. In his New Year speech, Xi also reaffirmed his commitment to deepening reform and opening-up.

"China's reforms will never stop, and its doors will only open ever wider," Xi said in the speech delivered on New Year's Eve.China will continue to push ahead the building of Belt and Road Initiative projects this year, and it will continue to advocate for building a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said."The Belt and Road Initiative and the proposal to build a community with a shared future for mankind are most important and most practical measures taken by China to boost opening-up," he said.