Chinese leaders attend New Year gala featuring traditional operas

Chinese leaders attended a 2025 New Year gala featuring traditional operas Monday evening in Beijing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, other Party and state leaders including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng watched the show at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, alongside people from all walks of life in Beijing.

Before the performances started, Xi and other leaders shook hands with and greeted representatives of artists from the opera circle who were in the audience.

The show featured excerpts of classic operas that illustrate heroism and a love for China, as well as works highlighting contemporary ethos and vibrant ethnic cultures.

The excerpts were selected from various genres of opera, including Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera, both listed as intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Chinese leaders attend New Year gala featuring traditional operas

Chinese leaders attend New Year gala featuring traditional operas

Chinese leaders attend New Year gala featuring traditional operas

Chinese leaders attend New Year gala featuring traditional operas

Chinese leaders attend New Year gala featuring traditional operas

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Monday rejected direct talks with Israel and vowed continued resistance, just a day before Lebanon and Israel are due to hold their first direct negotiations in decades in Washington with U.S. officials participating.

His declaration came as Israel continued strikes across Lebanon on Monday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Monday evening that the Israeli air force struck about 150 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in the past 24 hours and said it would continue striking Hezbollah targets.

Meanwhile, its 98th Division was expanding ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the IDF said.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli military said five rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, triggering air defense systems. State-funded radio network Israeli Army Radio reported that debris from an interception injured one person.

Ahead of talks schedule on Tuesday in Washington between Israel and Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem made a televised speech on al-Manar TV, saying that Hezbollah would not be disarmed and called on the Lebanese government to withdraw from the Washington talks.

Qassem said that Israel has been trying to weaken Lebanon to achieve its "Greater Israel" ambitions, and that U.S. efforts to bolster the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah and push the Lebanese army to fight its people were destined to fail.

He stated that the "U.S.-backed Israeli aggression" was against Lebanon as a whole, not just Hezbollah, and he urged the Lebanese government to its military and security forces to respond instead of exerting political pressure on the "resistance forces".

He asserted that national unity would be undermined by any forces within Lebanon that submit to the will of the United States.

Qassem also said that Hezbollah had shown patience over the past 15 months while Israel violated the ceasefire agreement, but that diplomatic efforts had proven futile.

He accused Israel of failing to uphold a November 2024 ceasefire agreement, alleging more than 10,000 violations. Hezbollah responded with a counter attack on March 2, aiming to force Israel to abide by the ceasefire and thwarting its "major aggressive plans," Qassem said.

He laid out five conditions to end the conflict: a complete halt to attacks by land, sea and air; immediate withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory; the release of prisoners; the return of displaced people; and reconstruction with international support.

The Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed 2,089 people and wounded 6,762 since March 2, the Lebanese health ministry said on Monday.

Hezbollah leader rejects Israel talks, vows continued resistance ahead of Washington negotiations as strikes continue