CPPCC holds festival tea for widows of non-communist members, celebrities

BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the coutry's top advisory body, held a Spring Festival tea party for the widows of deceased non-communist members of the CPPCC and celebrities here on Friday.

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, attended the party. Wang Zhongyu, vice chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, extended Spring Festival greetings and best wishes to the women on behalf of the CPPCC.

The Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year by the lunar calendar, falls on Feb. 7 this year.

Wang briefed them on China's economic and social achievements and progress made by the CPPCC in 2007.

He said that while the country is marching towards prosperity and the people are leading happier lives, it cherishes the memory of old proletarian revolutionaries and their comrades and friends. Their contributions to socialist revolution and construction will never be forgotten, he said.

"You, as their wives, have also devoted yourself to socialist revolution, construction and reform," Wang said, saying their contributions would also always be remembered.

The women attending the tea party included Lin Jiamei, wife of former Chinese President Li Xiannian; Xu Kekun, wife of the former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Peiyao, and Liao Jingwen, wife of the famous artist XuBeihong.