(Photo/Chinanews.com)

Military reform

On Sept. 3, 2015, Xi Jinping announced to the world that China will cut troops by 300,000 soldiers. This promise of reform shows China's commitment to peaceful development.

A new round of reform of China's national defense and armed forces was launched after the Central Military Commission Reform Work Meeting was held from Nov. 24 to 26. On the last day of 2015, the Ministry of Defense confirmed that China is independently designing and building its second aircraft carrier. In 2016, new trends related to China's national defense and army are expected to emerge.

President Xi Jinping meets with Ma Ying-jeou. (Photo/Chinanews.com)

How will cross-Straits ties progress?

Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jiou had a historic meeting in Singapore on Nov. 7, 2015. On Jan. 16, an election will be held in Taiwan. Relevant parties will be closely monitoring how cross-Strait relations progress following this election.