BEIJING, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- A reception was held Thursday for ethnic groups in Beijing ahead of the Spring Festival, the Chinese New Year.

Bater, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and an ethnic Mongolian, delivered a speech at the event, which was presided over by Cao Jianmin, vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

While guaranteeing China's national unification and ethnic unity, Bater said it is imperative to foster a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, increase exchange and communication among people of ethnic groups and further efforts to lift areas inhabited by ethnic minorities out of poverty and help build them into moderately prosperous regions, in order to make new contribution to realizing Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

The event was jointly held by the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China, the ethnic affairs committee of the NPC, the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, the ethnic and religious affairs committee of the CPPCC National Committee and the Beijing municipal government.

The Chinese Lunar New Year falls on Feb. 5 this year. And the public holiday in association with it lasts from Feb. 4 to 10.