BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping has extended Spring Festival greetings to the country's military veterans.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), conveyed the greetings while attending a gala held by the CMC for retired military officers of Beijing-based troops on Friday.

Greeted with warm applause, Xi chatted with the veterans, inquiring about their health and living conditions. Together, they reviewed the extraordinary journey of the Party, the country and the military over the past year.

The veterans vowed to rally more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and act on Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military.

They pledged to gain a deep understanding of the decisive significance of establishing Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and of establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. They also vowed to consciously uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership.

Moreover, the veterans pledged to implement the system of ultimate responsibility resting with the CMC chairman.

The veterans vowed to contribute their part to achieving the centenary goals of the People's Liberation Army by 2027 and to advancing the modernization of national defense and the armed forces at a high standard.