Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a New Year speech Thursday evening in Beijing to ring in 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) -- China has written an "epic" in fighting COVID-19 and secured major achievements in coordinating epidemic control with economic and social development, Xi said. -- Nearly 100 million rural residents living below the current poverty line have shaken off poverty over the past eight years, and all 832 poor counties have been lifted out of penury. -- Xi said continued efforts will be made on the road to modernization and more glory. BEIJING, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday hailed the country's hard-won achievements in COVID-19 response, economic recovery and poverty eradication in the "extraordinary" year of 2020.