BEIJING, Dec. 31 -- The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) held a New Year gathering in its auditorium in Beijing on the morning of Dec. 30. Party and state leaders Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Wang Qishan attended the gathering to welcome the year 2023. Also present at the gathering were leading officials of China's non-Communist parties' central committees and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, representatives of personages without party affiliation, leading officials of central Party and government departments, and individuals from various ethnic groups and sectors of society in Beijing.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), delivered an important speech at the gathering. He stressed that 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.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and the CMC, Xi extended New Year greetings and sincere blessings to the other political parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, 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.

Xi pointed out that the year of 2022 is 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 economic growth, 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 by the whole Party, the entire military and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups.

Xi pointed out that 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.

Xi stressed that 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, 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.

Xi noted that 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.

Wang Yang, chairperson of the National Committee of the CPPCC, presided over the gathering. He pointed out that it's imperative to conscientiously study and digest the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's speech and fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. He called for concrete and immediate actions to conduct in solidarity political consultation and deliberation of state affairs with the focus on the strategic arrangements made at the 20th CPC National Congress, so as to give better play to the CPPCC's role as a specialized consultative body, work hard to make new contributions to advancing the cause of the Party and the country, and work tirelessly for building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts.

Zheng Jianbang, chairperson of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, made a speech on behalf of the central committees of the non-Communist parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and personages without party affiliation.

Zheng said that they will rally more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core, uphold, develop and improve China's political party system, carry forward fine traditions, pool wisdom and strength, and make new and greater contributions to pushing forward socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Members of the CPPCC National Committee and literary and art workers gave a wonderful performance at the gathering.

Members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, secretaries of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, relevant leading officials of the Party and the state, and former vice chairpersons of the CPPCC National Committees attended the gathering.