The New Year Party For Foreign Friends and Overseas Chinese was held at the Shangri-La Hotel last week.

City officials including Du Shicheng and Xia Geng joined some 300 foreigners and overseas Chinese in celebrating the coming new year.

Vice Secretary also vice mayor Xia Geng del ivered a speech on the ceremony. He said the year 2002 is a significant year for Qingdao's reform and development. The Qingdao people should hold high the banner of Ding Xiaoping's theory and fully implement the important thought of Three represents to build a well-off society in an all-round way. The coming new year is a new year full of hope. New achievements will be made in the new year with the joint efforts of the people. He extended his appreciation to the hard-working Qingdao people as well as the foreigners and overseas Chinese who have joined the local people in the city's construction and development.

The participants enjoyed the performances of the Chinese and foreign actors.

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