President Xi Jinping stressed on Friday the importance of rising to challenges with a fighting spirit and tackling the future with great effort to achieve the goals and tasks set for next year, the first year after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark while addressing a New Year gathering of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body.
The gathering was attended by the leading officials of the central committees of non-CPC parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, prominent figures with no party affiliation as well as individuals from various ethnic groups and different sectors of society in Beijing.
Xi urged efforts in 2023 to lay a solid foundation for building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.
The year 2022 was of monumental significance in both the history of the CPC and the Chinese nation, as the Party held its 20th National Congress and China maintained economic growth and stabilized employment and prices, Xi said.
He said China has been adapting its COVID-19 prevention and control measures to the changing situation and has managed to protect people's lives and health while minimizing the impact on socioeconomic development.
In 2022, China also successfully held the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics, celebrated the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and resolutely fought against separatist activities and external interference aimed at "Taiwan independence", he said.
All these feats were accomplished by the entire Party, the military and the Chinese people striving in unity with tenacious efforts, Xi said.
Going forward, Xi called on the top political advisory body to deepen consultation and build consensus to better pool wisdom and strength for realizing goals and tasks on the journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects.
Noting that all Chinese people, both at home and overseas, are important for achieving national rejuvenation, Xi urged great efforts to consolidate and develop the broadest possible united front and unite all forces that can be united for realization of the Chinese dream.