BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) held a New Year gathering in its auditorium in Beijing on the morning of Dec. 31, 2025. Party and state leaders Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attended the gathering to ring in the year 2026. Also present at the gathering were leading officials of China's non-Communist parties' central committees and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), representatives of personages without party affiliation, leading officials of central Party and state departments, and individuals from various ethnic groups and all walks of life in Beijing.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered an important speech. Xi stressed that with the blueprint charted, now is the time to forge ahead to translate it into reality. He called on the entire Party and people of all ethnic groups in the country to unite even more closely with one heart and one mind, press ahead with determination, make great achievements through solid work, win the future through innovation, and continue to open up new prospects in advancing Chinese modernization.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission, Xi extended New Year greetings to the non-CPC political parties, the ACFIC and personages without party affiliation, to the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, to compatriots in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan, and overseas Chinese, and to friends from all over the world who have shown understanding and support for China's modernization drive.

Xi noted that 2025 was an extraordinary year when Chinese people met obstacles and difficulties head-on and worked hard with enterprise and determination, smoothly achieving the main targets for economic and social development and accomplishing a number of major and consequential undertakings. China's economy pressed ahead under pressure and advanced toward new and higher-quality growth, demonstrating strong resilience and vitality. Reform and opening up achieved new progress, efforts to safeguard and improve people's livelihoods were further strengthened, and overall social stability was maintained. After five years of arduous efforts, the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) was brought to a successful conclusion, with China's economic strength, scientific and technological capabilities, defense capabilities, and composite national strength reaching new heights. In the course of unremitting endeavor, we have bolstered our ambition, grit, and self-belief, thus becoming more resolved and confident to advance the building of a strong country and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Xi said.

Xi stressed that over the past year, the CPPCC has faithfully implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, worked to strengthen the shared theoretical and political foundation for concerted endeavors, and focused its deliberations and suggestions on further deepening reform across the board and advancing high-quality development, thereby making new contributions to the development of the cause of the Party and the country.

Noting that 2026 marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), Xi urged efforts to secure a good start. He stressed the need to fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, accelerate the creation of a new development paradigm, and make solid efforts to promote high-quality development. Efforts should be made to adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while ensuring stability, implement more proactive and impactful macro policies, effectively upgrade and appropriately expand China's economic output, and maintain social harmony and stability, Xi said.

Xi emphasized that, while staying aligned with the central tasks of the Party and the country, the CPPCC should step up its consultative and deliberative work, actively make suggestions, and carry out democratic oversight with a focus on the formulation and implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan, so as to rally public support, build consensus, draw on collective wisdom and pool strengths for advancing Chinese modernization.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, presided over the gathering. He pointed out that it is imperative to earnestly study and implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech, unswervingly uphold the CPC's overall leadership, have a good command of the nature of the CPPCC, fulfill the CPPCC's duties with a focus on the central tasks of the Party and the country, and give full play to the CPPCC's role as a specialized consultative body. He also called for efforts to work in unity with shared conviction and concerted efforts, pool collective wisdom and strength for getting the 15th Five-Year Plan period off to a good start and work tirelessly toward the goal of basically realizing socialist modernization.

Cai Dafeng, chairman of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, delivered a speech on behalf of the central committees of non-CPC parties, the ACFIC and personages without party affiliation. He expressed their commitment to rallying more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, intensifying efforts to strengthen their own development, and better serving the country's overall development, so as to contribute wisdom and strength to building a great country and advancing national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization.

Art workers presented wonderful performances at the gathering. At the end of the gathering, all arose to sing in chorus "Unity Is Strength." The auditorium was filled with a joyous and festive atmosphere.

Among those attending the gathering were members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and members of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, who were in Beijing; some leaders from the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the State Council; leaders of the CPPCC National Committee and its former vice chairpersons who were in Beijing.