President Jiang Zemin Tuesday night extended cordial New Year greetings to Chinese people of various ethnic groups -- including their compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as all overseas Chinese -- in a message broadcast by China Radio International, China National Radio and China Central Television.
Jiang said the year 2002 was of great and profound significance to China's development.
The momentous 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which selected a new leadership for the country, was the biggest event of China's political calendar, Jiang said.
The congress adopted the "Three Representatives'' as the Party's long-term guiding ideology, on a par with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory.
Jiang said the congress carried on the legacy of the past and opened a new chapter for the future. It also drew up a blueprint for building a xiaokang or moderately well-off society by 2020.
The whole Party and people from all ethnic groups will unite more closely and concentrate on construction and development, Jiang said. He said he firmly believes that China will embrace a more splendid and brighter future.
Jiang said 2002 was an important period, during which China continued pushing forward its reform, opening-up and modernization drive.
"In 2002, China kept on expanding domestic demand and carried out a proactive fiscal policy and moderate monetary policy.
"We put great effort into the strategic readjustment of the economic structure, we strengthened the fundamental position of agriculture, and furthered the reform of state-own enterprises.
"We enhanced environmental protection, gave great impetus to the development of the western regions, and strove to create more job opportunities and to encourage re-employment.
"We improved the social-security system, strengthened the construction of democracy and the legal system, maintained sustained, rapid and healthy economic growth, and further improved people's living conditions,'' he added.
Jiang said China had actively and completely involved itself in implementing all the commitments it made to the World Trade Organization.
"China's development is inseparable from the world's and the prosperity of the world also cannot be achieved without China,'' said Jiang. "China's development will surely contribute to world peace and development.''
He said China firmly holds on to its policy of "one country, two systems'' and has maintained the social and economic stability of the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, and strictly carried out work in accordance with the Basic Law of the two regions.
"We actively promoted the cross-Straits relationship under the guidance of the principles of 'peaceful reunification' and 'one country, two systems'. Cultural and economic exchanges between both sides of the Straits have been further deepened,'' said Jiang.
"I would hereby like to express my special greetings to the 23 million Taiwan compatriots. May they enjoy happiness and good health in the next year. I firmly believe that the unification of the country will be accomplished through the joint efforts of all Chinese people of various ethnic groups, including the Taiwan compatriots.''
Jiang said the Chinese people love peace and freedom. China pursues an independent foreign policy based on peace and is always on the side of justice, he added.
People in several countries and regions still endure the torment of war and conflict, Jiang noted. The Chinese people sincerely hope that these people will be able to enjoy peace soon, he said.
(China Daily January 1, 2003)
