Jiang expressed his best wishes to all those people for the new year at a gathering to greet the traditional Spring Festival at the Great Hall of the People, which was held by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council.

Jiang, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said, "On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and State Council, I 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."

Jiang extended festival greetings to compatriots in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan, and all Chinese overseas.

He also expressed his gratitude to all foreign friends who have contributed to China's modernization drive.

Party and State leaders, including Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, Li Ruihuan, Hu Jintao, Wei Jianxing and Li Lanqing, attended the meeting.

Premier Zhu Rongji made a speech at the gathering. He reviewed the major events last year, including celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Beijing's successful bid to host the 2008 Olympics and China's successful hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting.

Zhu said, this year China will work to expand domestic demand, increase the incomes of the people, particularly those with low-incomes, improve the social security system, promote economic structural adjustment and restructuring, continue to straighten out market economic order, and open wider to the world to adapt to the situation following the WTO entry.

China will also deepen the fight against corruption, promote cultural and ethic progress, advance the construction of a democratic legal system, and safeguard social stability and national security, he said.

Zhu reiterated the government's determination to resolve the Taiwan issue under the "one China" principle.

"We are resolutely opposed to any attempt to separate Taiwan from our motherland," Zhu said, stressing that "China will adhere to the basic principles of peaceful reunification, and 'one country, two systems' and President Jiang's eight-point proposal for resolving the Taiwan issue."

"We will persist in promoting the resumption of cross-Straits dialogue and negotiations on the basis of `one China' and promoting the development of cross-Straits relations," Zhu said.

Zhu also said that the central government will continue to support the governments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region and their chief executives in their governance according to law and promote long-term prosperity and stability and development in the two regions.

Zhu said that China "is opposed to terrorism in any form and opposed to hegemonism and power politics."

More than 4,500 people attended the gathering, including Party, State and military leaders, as well as retired veterans, leaders of non-Communist parties, leaders of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and people without party affiliation, representatives of ethnic minority groups, Chinese and foreign experts, and scholars and representatives from all walks of life.

(China Daily February 11, 2002)