Chinese leaders extend Spring Festival greetings to people

BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese leaders attended a grand gathering in the Great Hall of the People here on Tuesday to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival and extend festive greetings to the Chinese people.

Chinese President Hu Jintao chaired the gathering of 4,000 people from various sections of society.

On behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council, Hu, who is general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, conveyed festival greetings to all Chinese people and his thanks to the friends of China in the world.

Premier Wen Jiabao, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a speech.

Wu Bangguo, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also attended the gathering.

Other participants included leaders of various departments of the central authorities, leading officials of the capital city, representatives of retired senior cadres, leaders of non-Communist parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, people without party affiliations, representatives of ethnic minorities, domestic and foreign experts and scholars, as well as representatives of various circles in the capital city.

The gathering was jointly held by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

Spring Festival, the Chinese Lunar New Year's Day, falls on Feb. 7 this year.