BEIJING, Feb. 15 - Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday asked the country's other political parties to "actively" advise and supervise the governance of the ruling Communist Party.

 

The great cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics needs the joint efforts of people around the country, Hu said at an annual meeting before the Spring Festival, attended by leaders of all non-communist parties, All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and public figures without party affiliation.

 

The Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, the China Public Interest Party and the Chinese Farmers and Workers Democratic Party are among the main political parties in China.

 

Hu extended New Year's greetings to his audience and thanked them for their participation in state affairs and cross-party supervision, as well as their contribution to China's economic and social development, social stability and national reunification in the past year.

 

Hu noted that the country should stick to multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the CPC leadership, a system that has been in place since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

 

Hu also said both the CPC and other parties should work hard to meet the new challenges, especially by promoting the concept of scientific development, pushing forward the macro-economic reforms, protecting the environment and conserving energy resources.

 

The meeting is among a series of events in which China's senior leaders are engaged before the Spring Festival, the most important holiday for Chinese, which falls on Feb. 18 this year.

 

In another development, Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended a grand gala on Wednesday evening in the Great Hall of the People to embrace the Spring Festival, along with tens of thousands of people from all walks of life in the capital.