On New Year's Day, 2000, I would like to extend greetings to the staff working in the field of culture and art.

In the past year, under the leadership of the Central Party Committee with Comrade Jiang Zemin at its core, Chinese ethnic groups set their minds free, sought truth from fact and worked hard, which resulted in a good start of the Tenth Five-Year Plan and a prelude for the complete development of Chinese nationality in the new century. Our socialistic cultural undertaking with Chinese characteristics is advancing towards a high level at a fast pace. Comrade Jiang Zemin's speech on July 1 expatiated on the important ideas of the Three Represents, enriched and developed the theory of establishing our Party based on Marxism and gave a new connotation to culture, hastening cultural innovations and breakthroughs. The theory representing the onward direction of Chinese advanced culture gives prominence to the goals of our socialistic culture construction, which we have been underway since China's opening-up policy. At the newly convened Seventh National Culture Representatives Conference and the Sixth Author Representatives Conference, Comrade Jiang emphasized again the importance of working hard to build a Chinese advanced culture: it is our task to realize socialistic modernization to make Chinese advanced culture appealing to Chinese people nationwide and even people around the world, and endeavor to develop our advanced productivity to speed up China's entry into the list of developed countries in terms of productivity. Secretary-General Jiang's important speech is a creedal document guiding Chinese cultural work in the new century.

In the past year the Chinese socialistic culture undertaking advanced in line with time, demonstrating its great creativity and charm. Staff in the field of culture and art shall shoulder the solemn responsibilities to upgrade Chinese nationalities' ideological, ethical, scientific and cultural quality, and carry on the spirit of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 15th Central Committee of the CPC; carry out the Implementary Program for Citizens' Moral Education, voluntarily participate in implementing the strategy of revitalizing China through science and education and governmental strategy which combines managing the State in accordance with law and managing the state by using morals, and play an outstanding role in spiritual civilization construction. There emerged a series of excellent works that were recognized by Chinese audiences. Flourishing social-cultural activities enriched the spiritual life of the masses, making the participation in healthy and civilized cultural activities a conscious act in many communities and villages. In addition, external culture exchanges became more and more active over time. Moreover, such exchanges reached new levels and were extended to new fields. The regulation and standardization of cultural markets has achieved obvious results.

In the new year, we shall cultivate and develop the Chinese national spirit according to the requirements of Secretary-General Jiang's important speech on the National Culture Representatives Conference and the Author Representatives Conference to make Chinese nationalities and people always maintain a stirring, hardworking, upward mental status during the construction course of socialistic cultural undertaking with Chinese characteristics. We shall endeavor to make culture and art prosper, open ourselves to diversified advanced cultures, fuel artistic inspiration and create more refined works. We shall also make great efforts to push forward social culture and persist in the mass-oriented direction with emphasis on city communities, villages and towns. We shall continue to deepen the reform of the culture system. Chinese culture faces new opportunities and challenges after China entered the WTO. We shall actively promote cultural innovation and communicate with different cultures of all nations in the new context. We shall carry on good culture traditions and absorb the essence of other cultures based on our current situation.

Let's bring our artistic imaginations into full play and inspire our innovation ability to form a style of Chinese contemporary culture that builds an ethical, scientific and popular culture. In the new year, we will stimulate the national spirit, strengthen the Chinese national force and step up the development of Chinese nationalities to create a favorable cultural atmosphere for the 16th Party Congress.

We wish good health to all staff working in the field of culture and art and prosperity to the cultural undertaking.

Thank you.

                                                                 January 3, 2002