BEIJING -- 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 Thursday 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.

The outgoing Year of the Rabbit marked the beginning of the full implementation of the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress on all fronts, Xi said, noting that the country faced an exceptionally complicated international environment and arduous tasks of reform, development, and maintaining stability.

"We pooled strength from Chinese modernization, kept in mind both domestic and international imperatives, overcame multiple difficulties and challenges, and made solid progress on a new journey toward building China into a modern socialist country in all respects," Xi said.

Li Qiang presided over the reception. Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng were also present at the event.

Over the past year, China adhered to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability and promoted economic recovery, Xi said.

Listing the progress made, Xi said the country's total grain output reached a new high, employment and prices have been kept generally stable, and breakthroughs were made in scientific and technological innovation.

Reform and opening up continued to deepen in China, a new round of reform of Party and state institutions has been basically completed, the country's ecological environment continued to improve, and new steps have been taken on modernizing national defense and the armed forces, he said.

Xi also praised deepened efforts on exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance and fighting corruption.

By putting the people first, authorities worked hard to address the pressing difficulties and problems that concerned people most, and made all-out efforts in responding to natural disasters and advancing post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, thus maintaining overall social stability, Xi said.

"We actively support Hong Kong and Macao in better integrating into the overall situation of national development, firmly oppose separatist acts of 'Taiwan independence' and interference by external forces, and vigorously defend our country's sovereignty, security and development interests," Xi said.