Spring Festival Special 2008 

Chinese President Hu Jintao, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech at a grand Spring Festival gathering in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 5, 2008. The celebration was jointly held by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Tuesday.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese leaders attended a grand gathering in the Great Hall of the People here on Tuesday to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival and extend festive greetings to the Chinese people.

    Chinese President Hu Jintao chaired the gathering of 4,000 people from various sections of society.

    On behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council, Hu, who is general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, conveyed festival greetings to all Chinese people and his thanks to the friends of China in the world. 

   Premier Wen Jiabao, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a speech.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), delivers a speech at a grand Spring Festival gathering in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 5, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Several weeks of severe winter weather has led to transport problems and blackouts in some parts of China, causing economic loss and affecting people's livelihood, Wen said.

    "Thanks to hard efforts, electricity supply and transportation have been basically brought back to normal, the disaster is under control and social and economic conditions of the whole country are stable," he said.

    "Severe natural disaster is both a test and an exercise for us. Relief work has come to the critical point," the Premier said, adding that the country should continue with the efforts to achieve the final victory.

    "We have the confidence and the ability," he added.

    Senior CPC and state leaders including Wu Bangguo, Jia Qinglin,Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang attended the gathering.

    Other participants included leaders of various departments of the central government, officials from the Beijing municipality, representatives of retired senior cadres, leaders of non-Communist parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, people without party affiliations, representatives of ethnic minorities, domestic and foreign experts and scholars, as well as representatives of various circles in the capital city.

    The gathering was jointly hosted by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

    Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, is the most important traditional Chinese festival. It falls on Feb. 7 this year.

Chinese President Hu Jintao(R), also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, chats with a representative at a grand Spring Festival gathering in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 5, 2008. The celebration was jointly held by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Tuesday. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Chinese leaders extend New Year greetings to veteran leaders

    BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- As the traditional Spring Festival draws nearer, Chinese leaders, including Hu Jintao, have called on former leaders of the state and the Communist Party of China (CPC) to extend New Year greetings.

    These veteran leaders included former President and Party chief Jiang Zemin, former top legislators Li Peng, Wan Li and Qiao Shi, and former Premier Zhu Rongji.  Full story

Gov't extends New Year greetings to overseas Chinese

    BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council on Tuesday extended Chinese Lunar New Year greetings to all overseas Chinese, returned overseas Chinese and their relatives.

    By Tuesday, overseas donations for snow-disaster areas, including funds from Hong Kong and Macao, had exceeded 55 million yuan (about 7.65 million U.S. dollars).  Full story

Wen delivers New Year speech at grand Spring Festival gathering

    BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday delivered a New Year Speech at a grand Spring Festival gathering of senior leaders, extending greetings for the Lunar New Year that falls on Feb. 7.

    President Hu Jintao, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, chaired the gathering in Beijing's Great Hall of the People.  Full story