On the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year, top leaders sent greetings to Chinese people of various ethnic groups including compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as all overseas Chinese.
Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, expressed his best wishes for the new year at a gathering at the Great Hall of the People, which was held by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.
"On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and State Council, I would like to extend warm greetings and good wishes to all Chinese people of various ethnic groups, as well as all the workers, farmers, intellectuals, officials, officers and men of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, armed police and public security police," Hu said.
He extended festival greetings to compatriots in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SAR) and Taiwan, and all Chinese overseas.
He also expressed his gratitude to all foreign friends who had contributed to China's modernization drive.
Premier Zhu Rongji made a speech at the gathering, reviewing the major events last year such as the convening of the 16th CPC National Congress, and noting that China made remarkable achievements last year.
Zhu said this year China would work to expand domestic demand and implement the pro-active fiscal policy and the stable and prudent monetary policy, thus facilitating steady and rapid economic growth.
The country would actively readjust economic structure, implement the strategy of Western Development, deepen economic reform, create more jobs and improve social security system, said the premier.
On relations across the Taiwan Straits, Zhu said China resolutely opposes any separatist activity involving the "independence of Taiwan", and actively pushes for the realization of the three direct links of trade, transportation and postal services.
"China will adhere to the basic principles of peaceful reunification, 'one country, two systems' and President Jiang Zemin's eight-point proposal for resolving the Taiwan issue," he said.
Zhu also said that the central government would continue to support the governments of the Hong Kong and the Macao SARs and their chief executives in their governance and promote long-term prosperity and stability and development in the two regions.
More than 4,500 people attended the gathering. Such a gathering has been held each year to mark the Spring Festival, a traditional holiday for family reunions which falls on February 1 this year.
(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2003)
