BEIJING, Dec. 31 -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered an important speech at the New Year gathering of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Friday.

The following is the full text of the speech:

 

Speech at New Year gathering of CPPCC National Committee

Dec. 30, 2022

by Xi Jinping

 

Comrades and Friends,

Happy New Year, everyone! On the occasion of bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new, it gives me great pleasure to gather with you here to renew our friendship and discuss national affairs together.

First of all, on behalf of the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission, I would like to extend festive greetings and sincere blessings to the other political parties, the All-China Federations of Industry and Commerce and personages without party affiliation, the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, overseas Chinese, and the friends from around the world who have shown understanding of and support for the development of China's modernization.

The year 2022 is a year of significance in the history of the development of the Party and the country. We held the 20th CPC National Congress successfully and drew up a grand blueprint for comprehensively building a modern socialist country. We have adhered to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, fully implemented the new development philosophy, promoted high-quality development, maintained the operation of the economy within an appropriate range, with the total economic output expected to exceed 120 trillion yuan, achieved a bumper harvest of grain, and kept employment and prices stable. We have optimized the epidemic prevention and control strategies according to the changing circumstances to protect people's lives and health to the greatest extent and minimize the impact of the epidemic on economic and social development. We successfully hosted the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, respectively. We held a grand celebration marking the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. We resolutely fought against attempts by separatists to seek "Taiwan independence" and intervention of external forces in this regard. We continued to advance major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics and maintain overall stability in the external environment.

All the achievements did not come easily and are the result of the concerted and tenacious efforts of the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups.

This year, to our great distress, Comrade Jiang Zemin passed away. The whole Party, the military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups deeply grieved over and mourned for the loss of him, and are determined to carry on his legacy and unswervingly push forward the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics for the new era.

Comrades and Friends,

In 2022, the CPPCC conscientiously implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, adhered to the two major themes of solidarity and democracy, focused on the central task and served the overall interests of the country, continued to work on offering advices and building consensus, conducted consultations on solid efforts to promote common prosperity and carried out democratic supervision on the ecological and environmental protection of the Yangtze River, making new contributions to the development of the cause of the Party and the country.

The non-Communist parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce have successively changed terms of office and elected new leading bodies, which has deepened the political transition, and further consolidated the common ideological, political and organizational foundation for multiparty cooperation.

Comrades and Friends,

The year 2023 is the first year to fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress. The start is crucial to the overall situation and decisive to the future. We must meet challenges with a fighting spirit, open up the future with hard work, strive to achieve the goals and tasks for the whole year, and lay a solid foundation for the realization of the Second Centenary Goal.

In the New Year, the CPPCC should fully study and implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, adhere to the integration of Party leadership, the united front, and consultative democracy, and strive to strengthen in-depth consultation and interaction, the full expression of opinions, and broad consensus building, so as to better pool wisdom and strength for achieving the goals and tasks of the new era and on the new journey.

Comrades and Friends,

Realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires joint endeavors of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation at home and abroad. We should consolidate and develop the broadest possible patriotic united front, unite all the people as one, pool their strength and rally their wisdom, so as to create a powerful synergy to realize the Chinese Dream.

Thank you all!