High-profile British government, business and academic representatives were invited to the Chinese New Year reception held by the Chinese embassy in London on Friday.

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom Liu Xiaoming delivered a keynote speech at the event, the first-ever Chinese New Year celebration at the embassy specifically for British guests.

Liu reviewed China's development in 2019 and summarized it as "a fruitful year and a year of greater sense of gains, happiness and security for the Chinese people", referring to high-quality economic growth, higher living standards and a strengthened social governance.

In 2019, China's GDP exceeded $14 trillion, and per-capita GDP will for the first time exceed $10,000, which means the nation will see much greater purchasing power and a consumption-driven economy.

"While pursuing happiness for tens of thousands of Chinese families, China is also thinking about what we can contribute to our global family," Liu said.

He noted it is important for all countries to join hands to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

In order to achieve this, he said, "countries should pursue development through open cooperation, different civilizations should enhance exchanges and learn from each other," and "global governance should follow the principles of extensive consultation and joint contribution."

"I sincerely hope China and the UK will join hands to create a garden of hundreds of flowers for all to enjoy and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind, thus making our big global family more peaceful, harmonious and beautiful," he added.

After the speech, singers and dancers from Southwest China's Guizhou province gave a performance showcasing local ethnic culture.

Guests were also given opportunities to experience Chinese traditional culture, such as writing Chinese character "fu" on red paper for good fortune, and playing the zither, a Chinese seven-stringed musical instrument.