The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday extended greetings to Chinese people for the coming Chinese Lunar New Year.

"Chun Jie Kuai Le! (Happy Lunar New Year!) Happy Lunar New Year! I am pleased to send my warmest greetings as we usher in the Year of the Dragon. The dragon symbolizes energy, wisdom, protection and good luck. We need these qualities to rise to today's global challenges. This year, the celebration at the United Nations is special: for the first time, the Lunar New Year is part of the UN holiday calendar. I thank China and the Chinese people for your unwavering support to the United Nations, to multilateralism and global progress. Together, we can realize a sustainable, just and peaceful future. I wish you good health, happiness and prosperity in this new year. Xie Xie! (Thank You!)", he said in a video message.

The Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, is the most important holiday for Chinese around the world. This year's Spring Festival falls on Feb 10.