Speaking at the annual gathering of the rubber-stamp parliament in Beijing on Sunday, Xi said China should be able to fend for itself.
"As a great nation of 1.4 billion people, we must rely on ourselves," Xi added."We can't depend on international markets to save us." As China's technology ambitions have been hit with a raft of restrictions by the United States and its Western allies, Beijing has doubled down on the need to build a self-reliant industry and shift away from imports for sectors perceived as vital to national security, such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence.
The highly choreographed National Party Congress kicked off with outgoing Premier Li Keqiang announcing an increase in military spending and modest economic growth.
And our president?