国内英语新闻:Overseas Chinese inspired by Xi's Spring Festival greetings

BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, on behalf of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council, extended Spring Festival greetings to all Chinese Wednesday at a reception in Beijing.

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered a speech at the gathering at the Great Hall of the People, greeting Chinese people of all ethnic groups, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and overseas Chinese.

After listerning to Xi's speech, overseas Chinese have said that they are inspired and will work hard to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and contribute to the noble cause of peace and development for all mankind.

Wang Jiaqing, head of Council for Peaceful National Reunification of China in France, said that Chinese living overseas are deeply touched by Xi's speech ahead of this year's Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 12.

Calling the year 2020 "a very extraordinary year," Wang said that by putting people first and rallying the whole nation to forge ahead through the hard time, China has achieved major success in the fight against COVID-19.

Adding that China has also made significant achievement in economic and social development, Wang said that all the achievements have illustrated the "significant advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the national spirit of the Chinese people to strive for excellence."

In his speech, Xi urged efforts to be made in 2021 to consolidate and expand the results secured in epidemic containment and social and economic development, demanding a good start in boosting the country's development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) so as to celebrate the Party's centenary with outstanding achievements.

For Peng Yi, director of Confucius Institute at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, she and her colleagues were inspired to continue striving to tell the world about China and its people and promote people-to-people exchanges between China and South Africa.

　　Li Wei, general manager of Zhongman Petroleum and Natural Gas Group's branch in Egypt, noted that China has successfully overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and achieved economic development.

"As overseas Chinese, we listened to President Xi's speech while seeing the achievements we have, which made us really happy," Li said.

"While ensuring safety and health, we will continue to work hard and show the spirit of the Chinese people pressing ahead bravely," Li added.