BEIJING, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders have visited or entrusted officials of relevant departments to visit veteran comrades to extend festive greetings ahead of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other Party and state leaders wished the veteran comrades a happy Spring Festival, good health and longevity.

The veteran comrades spoke highly of the solid progress made by the whole Party, the entire military, and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups toward building China into a modern socialist country in all respects under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core over the past year.

They voiced wholehearted support for Xi's core position in the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole.

The veteran comrades expressed the hope that the Party, the military and Chinese people of all ethnic groups would unite even more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and continuously enhance cohesion and forge the Party's soul with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

They called for efforts to forge ahead with firm confidence and strive tirelessly for the cause of building China into a stronger country and rejuvenating the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization.

This year's Spring Festival falls on Feb. 10.