UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- The following is a text of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan's message on the Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. The video-taped message was obtained by Xinhua on Monday.

    "My dear Chinese friends,

    I know that your New Year is a special time for all of you.

    Family comes together. Friends pay a visit. You eat well. You celebrate.

    You come together to see out the old year and welcome the new one.

    Our world needs to come together too.

    For the United Nations, the Year of the Goat has not been easy.

    But we are looking ahead with hope to the Year of the Monkey. We know it will bring new challenges, but we are determined to meet them creatively.

    During the year ahead, I will do all I can to encourage world leaders to come together in the cause of peace, and do more to promote development and human rights.

    In all such efforts, China plays a vital role. And China can take pride in its successes, in reducing poverty and opening up new opportunities for its people.

    Of course, you still face many challenges. But if you keep moving on the path of reform, development, democratization and human rights, I am sure you will meet them.

    And if all countries walk together down that path, our world will be a safer and more peaceful place.

    I hope this year gives me another chance to visit your great country, and to share the excitement of China's historic transformation.

    Congratulations and a Happy New Year to all my Chinese friends!

    Gongxi fa cai! (Good luck and prosperity!)" Enditem

Danish PM greets China on Lunar New Year

    COPENHAGEN, Jan. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Wednesday issued a written statement, expressinghis cordial greetings on Chinese Spring Festival.

    Rasmussen said that on the occasion of the Chinese lunar New Year, he would like to extend "the most cordial greetings" to all Chinese living in Denmark and China, and hoped "the New Year would bring happiness and fortune" to them.

    The prime minister highly commended the development of bilateral relations between Denmark and China. Both countries had maintained good relations in many areas and he hoped relations would be further strengthened in the New Year.

    Rasmussen also said he was looking forward to his coming visit to China.

    The visit had for a long time been a priority on his agenda. "I'm looking forward to having a first-hand impression of the rapid development in China," he said.

    On Wednesday, the municipal council of Copenhagen, the Danish capital, held a party for Chinese living in Denmark to celebrate the Chinese lunar New Year. Enditem

Manila's Chinatown shares Arroyo's Chinese greeting

¡¡  MANILA, Jan. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- "Kiong Hee Huat Chai!" Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Wednesday night boiled the Manila Chinatown with her greeting in Chinese on the Spring Festival -- Chinese New Year.

    The president, wearing rosy and sparkling clothes and bright scarves, appeared at around 9:30 p.m. at a grand celebration in the Chinatown, which has been filled with songs, laughers, jolly people and "Kiong Hee Huat Chai" greetings since the afternoon.

    Arroyo, who has never spent Chinese New Year's eve in Chinatown,joined Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, heads of local Chinese Filipino organizations and thousands of people in watching lion dances and fireworks.

    Chinatown welcomed its first Spring Festival with a larger parade than ever after the president announced the Chinese New Year day as "Special Working Holiday" nationwide.

    "We share this special new year... Filipinos and Chinese...all with good luck," Atienza, who led the parade, told Xinhua in the thundering drum and trumpet sound.

    Henry Sy, the Director and Secretary General of Chinese Filipino Business Club, said Arroyo's presence at Chinese new yearcelebration shows Chinese Filipinos' greater role in the Philippine society and the government's concern for the ethnic Chinese community after recent kidnapping cases. Enditem