The Islamic Association of China (IAC) held a reception in Beijing on Monday to mark the annual Id al-Qurban, or feast of sacrifice, a major Islamic festival celebrated at the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, which falls on Tuesday.

On behalf of all Chinese Muslims, IAC president Chen Guangyuan extended good wishes to Muslims both at home and abroad.

China is now into its first year of the eleventh Five-Year program (2006-2010) for national economic development, and IAC will call for contributions from Chinese Muslims to that end, Chen said.

"We will work to arouse Chinese Muslims from different ethnic groups to make new contributions to the country's economic construction, national stability and development," he  said.

Ismail Amat, vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Liu Yandong, vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and head of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and vice CPPCC National Committee chairmen Bai Lichen and Abdul'ahat Abdulrixit also attended the reception.

Diplomatic envoys to China from Arabic and Islamic countries, foreign Muslim experts and representatives from some Chinese central government departments were also present.

(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2006)