As this year's Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, knocks on the door, Chinese President Xi Jinping extended Spring Festival greetings to all Chinese people and encouraged them to make efforts toward building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects. 

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Sunday when delivering a speech at a gathering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. 

Greeting Chinese people of all ethnic groups, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and overseas Chinese, he called on over 1.4 billion Chinese people to march toward the future. 

Looking back, new great achievements were made 

"The Year of the Ox is coming to an end. It has been a year for us to review history, pay tribute to history and look to the future," Xi said, adding that significant new achievements have been made in advancing the cause of the Party and the country. 

The president highlighted several milestone events, such as the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, the success of the sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, and a landmark victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, known as a "Xiaokang" society in Chinese. 

Last year, China maintained its leading position in the world in terms of both economic development and COVID-19 control, he said.

He also cited China's progress in its high-quality development, capabilities in strategic science and technology, reform and opening-up, and people's well-being.

Comprehensive plans had been made for China to reach its carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, he added.

Looking ahead, 'impressive miracles' to be made 

"During the second half of the year, the CPC will convene its 20th National Congress to review the work of the past five years and draw a development blueprint for the years ahead," Xi said. 

The congress comes at an important time when the CPC has embarked on a new journey to build a modern socialist country in all respects and to realize the Second Centenary Goal by 2049. It will be a highly important meeting and an event of great political significance for both the Party and the country, according to an official statement released by the CPC Central Committee in November last year. 

China will coordinate development and security, implement a new development philosophy, comprehensively deepen reform and opening up, and promote high-quality development, he said. 

In 2020, China made a strategic decision to foster a new development pattern where domestic and foreign markets can boost each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay. 

Efforts should be made in taking concrete actions to welcome the 20th National Congress, and advance the historic cause of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, said the president.

(Cover: Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses a Chinese New Year reception at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, January 30, 2022. /Xinhua)