President Xi extends New Year greetings to front-line staff, seniors

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday visited a heat supply company and a nursing home in Beijing, extending New Year greetings to front-line staff and seniors all over the country. Xi made the remarks during his tour of the Beijing Jingqiao Thermal Power Co., Ltd. and the "Sijiqing homes for the elderly" in Beijing. Xi arrived at the heating company in southwest Beijing at about 9:00 a.m. to learn about the city's heating planning layout, equipment upgrade and heat supply network. The president expressed his greetings to the front-line staff of the company and asked them to work meticulously to ensure all households can enjoy a warm winter and a happy holiday. Xi shook hands with the staff and bent over to check the viewing screen of the control desk, inquiring about operation conditions of the generating units. Xi stressed the importance of safety, asking them to develop new technology and greener energy, adding that improvements in such sectors are necessary to reduce emission and air pollution. "We can fix such problems with patience and investment," Xi said. Xi arrived at the nursing home around 11:00 a.m. and visited a number of senior people, asking about their monthly income and how much they pay for the nursing home. He also visited their dining room, gym and clinic. During his tour in the nursing home, he talked to the old people in the corridors and took photos with them. Noting that China's elderly service industry is still relatively underdeveloped, Xi asked elderly service institutions to improve management and service quality to ensure all old people can spend their old age in comfort and happiness.