People in Shenzhen were thanked Monday by Huang Liman, secretary of the municipal committee of the CPC, for their hard work in the past year.

Huang extended Spring Festival greetings at a tea party attended by representatives from all walks of life at the Wuzhou Guest House.

She said that in 2004 Shenzhen achieved remarkable social and economic development, with an improvement in the city¡¯s appearance and the people's living standards raised. She asked the city to maintain the momentum in 2005.

The Party secretary demanded that the Spring Festival celebration should not include giving and accepting "red envelopes" and prepaid shopping cards at the expense of public funds. She also reiterated the CPC Central Committee's order that no Party members or government workers should participate in gambling.

The past year saw Shenzhen demolish illegal buildings. That has helped further beautify the city's environment and recover some land from illegal developers. Huang said the city should keep a close eye on any new illegal buildings.

Mayor Li Hongzhong also attended the tea party, an annual event city authorities hold to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Editor: Catherine