President-elect Joe Biden at a press conference at the Queen Theater in Wilmington, Delaware, USA on the 28th of last month. Delaware=AFP Yonhap News
“We believe in rising stronger than ever before.” (U.S. President-elect Joe Biden)
“Hope will forever spring up” (French President Emmanuel Macron)
World leaders shouted’Hope’ with one voice as we celebrate the New Year 2021. It was also a firm commitment to fight and overcome the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) that hit the world last year.
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden appeared on the ABC Broadcasting New Year’s Day program on the 31st of last month (local time), expressing gratitude to the medical staff fighting Corona 19 and recommending vaccination to the public. “We are confident that we will overcome and rise stronger than ever,” said Biden. The U.S. is the country with the largest corona19 infection, with cumulative confirmed cases of 20 million and cumulative deaths of 350,000.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who recently recovered from Corona 19, said in a talk to the public on the day that “part of France was destroyed by the pandemic, but this historical challenge showed our health and resilience. France will be stronger.” President Macron did not forget to thank the driver, nurse, police, soldier, etc., saying, “They have united tightly, sacrificed and showed responsibility for the success of France.” France, along with EU member states, started vaccination on the 27th of last month, but the rejection of the vaccine was widespread, and only 138 people received the vaccine for four days. President Macron has repeatedly appealed for vaccination, saying that the Corona 19 vaccine will be safely distributed.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is about to retire, said, “I have not experienced such a difficult year in the past 15 years.” In addition, he said, “The vaccination has begun, but in order to overcome it, we must all observe the quarantine together,” and asked for a sense of solidarity.
Britain, having concluded negotiations on future relations between the EU and Brexit, completely broke up with the EU on New Year’s Day. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged a powerful new start, saying, “We have our hands on freedom and it is up to us to make the most of it.”
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is holding a press conference in Tokyo, Japan on the 28th of last month. Tokyo = AP Newsis
Japan has once again strengthened its will to host the Tokyo Olympics this year. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said in his New Year’s address on the 1st, “We will make the Olympics a symbol of world unity,” and “we will prepare for a safe and secure Olympics.” The Tokyo Olympics were scheduled to be held in July last year, but it was postponed for one year due to the spread of Corona 19. However, as the number of corona19 daily confirmed cases exceeds 4,000 a day, controversy over the hosting of the Olympics is intensifying in Japan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping was confident of economic growth. President Xi said, “It is expected that China’s gross domestic product (GDP) will reach 100 trillion yuan (about 6,700 trillion won per car) this year. We will achieve positive economic growth first among the world’s major countries.” In addition, referring to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, he stressed that “must achieve a great revival of the Chinese people.
Kim Pyo-hyang reporter [email protected]
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