British Prime Minister Tony Blair has sent his new year greetings to the Chinese community in Britain, wishing them a happy Chinese new year.
Blair said he valued the positive contributions of the Chinese community in Britain. "Your belief in the importance of family, reward for hard work, tolerance and community, continues to contribute to the economic and social cohesion of our country," he added.
"I welcome the increasing participation of the Chinese community in public life and look forward to helping build on this in the future," he said.
According to the Chinese lunar calendar, the Spring Festival, which is the most important festival for Chinese, falls on February 12 this year.
(People's Daily February 13, 2002)
