Chinese Leaders Celebrate New Year with Political Advisors

Chinese President Hu Jintao, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses a New Year tea party held by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 1, 2011.(Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao Saturday urged the maintenance of steady and relatively fast economic development and the promotion of social harmony and stability in a speech, as he and other senior Chinese officials celebrated the New Year with political advisors.

Hu and Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, attended a tea party hosted by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Hu said with five years of unremitting efforts, China fulfilled the goals of the 11th Five-Year Program (2006-2010), increased its economic and comprehensive strength, and improved people's living standards.

Hu said in the face of the complicated domestic and international situations in 2010, Chinese people successfully hosted the Shanghai World Expo and the Guangzhou Asian Games while bravely fighting several deadly natural disasters including the earthquake in Qinghai Province and the landslide in Gansu Province.

Hu said that 2011 will witness the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), adding that it is also the first year of the 12th Five-Year Program.

He urged to accelerate the transformation of the nation's economic development pattern and to speed up restructuring of the economy.

He also stressed expansion of the reform and opening-up and improving people's livelihood.

He said the country will adopt a "proactive" fiscal policy and "prudent" monetary policy while making macro control policies more targeted, flexible and effective.

He urged the promotion of employment and the building of harmonious labor relations.

He also urged to accelerate the establishment of a social security system for both urban and rural residents, to push forward of reforms in the health care system, and to expedite the construction of low-income housing.

Hu ordered efforts be made to push forward the fight against corruption and to keep improving the Party's governance and its capability of leadership, so as to provide reliable political and organizational guarantee for building a well-off society in an all-round way.

He said the country will stick to the guidelines of "one country, two systems," "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong," "Macao people governing Macao" and a high degree of autonomy to maintain the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao.

"We will adhere to the principles of 'peaceful reunification' and 'one country, two systems' while firmly holding on to the theme of peaceful development of cross-Strait relations," he said.

"We will deepen cross-Strait economic cooperation, broaden people-to-people exchange and continue to work for the benefit of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait," he added.

Hu said the country will continue to pursue an independent foreign policy of peace and unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development.

The party was presided over by Jia Qinglin, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee.

The leaders were joined by senior members of the central committees of non-Communist parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, personages without party affiliation, other officials of the central government and representatives of all walks of life and ethnic groups.

Source: Xinhua