Leaders yesterday morning extended Spring Festival greetings to all Chinese people and pledged to push economic opening-up and reform and address the pressing concerns of the people.
President Hu Jintao chaired the gathering of 4,000 figures from many circles at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, Hu conveyed festival greetings to all Chinese people and thanks to friends worldwide.
"I wish you a happy Spring Festival, health and happy family life," said Hu.
Spring Festival, the Chinese Lunar New Year's Day, falls tomorrow.
Premier Wen Jiabao, in a speech, said China made great progress in building an affluent society in an all-around way in 2005 and in its modernization drive.
The economy maintained steady and relatively fast growth. There were major advances in reform and opening up during the last year.
Development of social undertakings gathered speed and lives of urban and rural people continued to improve.
He said that as 2006 is the first year of the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010), it is important to work hard.
He said the nation will accelerate reform and opening up, step up innovation, push forward readjustment of the economic structure and the shift of growth mode.
China will give priority to issues of immediate concern to the people.
"We will comprehensively strengthen economic, political and cultural construction and the construction of a harmonious society to achieve a good beginning for the 11th Five-Year Plan," said Wen.
"Looking ahead, we see a very bright future for our motherland," said Wen.
Chinese people will join people of other countries to work for a peaceful and harmonious world, he said.
(Xinhua)