Via China Radio International, China National Radio and China Central Television, President Hu Jintao has delivered his annual New Year speech. This year's offering is titled "Make Joint Efforts to Build a Bright Future of World Peace and Development".

Ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends,

The New Year's bell is about to ring, and 2010 will soon begin. At this beautiful moment of bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new, via China Radio International, China National Radio and China Central Television, I'm delighted to extend New Year greetings to Chinese of all ethnic groups, to compatriots in Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan, to overseas Chinese and to friends all over the world!

The year 2009 has been a very important one in the history of the People's Republic of China. Chinese people of all ethnic groups have celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of New China, feeling extremely proud of our country's development, and determined to promote the socialist course with Chinese characteristics at a new starting point.

Under the circumstances of the global financial crisis, people of all ethnic groups in China have been resolute in confidence and braved hardships and difficulties. With millions of people united as one, we put the maintenance of a stable and comparatively fast economic growth as the primary task in our economic work. We made overall plans and efforts to guarantee economic growth, value people's livelihood and ensure social stability. With these efforts, we have achieved an overall economic recovery. Remarkable new progress has been made in the reform, opening-up and socialist modernization. The livelihood of the people continued to improve, and society remained harmonious and stable. China actively participated in international cooperation in dealing with issues such as the global financial crisis and climate change, increased international exchanges and cooperations, and made further contributions to world peace and development.

The year 2010 is the last one in China's implementation of the 11th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development. In the upcoming year, we will unswervingly uphold the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, deepen the implementation of the Scientific Outlook on Development under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, maintain the continuity and stability in macro-economic policies, maintain a proactive fiscal and moderately easy monetary policy, make the policies better-targeted and more flexible to adjust to new situations, pay more attention to enhancing the quality and benefits of economic growth, and accelerate the change of economic development mode and structural adjustment.

We will pay more attention to deepening the reform and opening up and encouraging independent innovations to inject vigor and vitality into economic development. More stress will be put on further improving people's welfare, and maintaining social harmony and stability. We will make overall plans in dealing with domestic and international situations to achieve a stable and comparatively rapid economic growth, and push forward the construction of a moderately well-off society in all respects.

We will uphold the principles of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" and "Macao people governing Macao" with a high degree of autonomy. We will work together with our compatriots in Hong Kong and Macao to maintain long-term prosperity and stability in the two Special Administrative Regions. We will adhere to the principles of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems", and firmly grasp the theme of cross-Strait relations and peaceful development, strengthen the cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, and bring continuous well-being to compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.