The People's Republic of China’s 13^th National People’s Congress (NPC) formally ended on Tuesday after re-electing President Xi Jinping for the second consecutive term. The 16-day long annual parliamentary session also amended the constitution eliminating the constitutional hurdle for the perpetual succession of Xi to the post.

Addressing nearly 2,900 lawmakers at the closing ceremony of the NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing today, President Xi said that China would uphold socialism with Chinese characteristics, eliminate poverty, improve ecological environment, build a world-class military and defend sovereignty of its territory.

Xi, who announced his ambitious signature project ‘One Belt One Road’ in 2013 that aims to increase road connectivity for China-centred trading network with Eurasian countries, said that Chinese dreams have gone global and the strongly emerging China would be a contributor to the global peace rather than a threat.

“China wants to contribute the Chinese wisdom to the global governance and to show the world its determination to work for an equal, open and peaceful world. China wants to build a community with a shared future for mankind, promote economic globalisation and free trade, promote connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative and promote the win-win cooperation,” said Xi.

The confident leader Xi, with his many reform plans including stern corruption laws, Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Belt and Road Initiative and muscular foreign policy, has been tagged as one of the most influential Chinese leaders in post-Mao period.

Similarly, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, addressing to media queries at the end of the NPC, talked about economy, reform and diplomacy.

Premier Li also spoke about China’s contention with Taiwan, Japan and Russia.

Defending China’s economic spread across the world, Li said that “China will never seek expansion and follow the footsteps of big powers which sought hegemony once they grew strong”.

Clearing the current economic world’s most contentious issue related to China-US-trade that is seemingly introducing a stage of trade war, Li said that no one will emerge as a winner in a trade war should it happen, and that China will firmly protect intellectual property rights, and expressed hope that the US will ease restrictions on exports of high-value added goods to China and seek balanced China-US trade.

After imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports few weeks ago, the USA is expected to unveil up to $60 billion in new tariffs on Chinese imports targeting technology and intellectual property this week.

China has so far not announced any retaliation measures.