Looking ahead, one main aim would be to strive for Taiwan's reunification with the mainland, Hu said, with Beijing ready to resume negotiations as soon as possible on the basis that there was only one China.
Taiwan split from the mainland at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, but Beijing still sees the democratic island of 23 million as part of Chinese territory and has pledged to bring it back into the fold, by force if necessary.
Moves by President Chen Shui-bian, who took office in 2000, to foster a separate Taiwan identity have made China's communist leaders increasingly nervous.
Echoing past New Year messages, Hu said China would not tolerate any moves towards independence.
"We will definitely not allow anyone to separate Taiwan from China by any means," Hu said.
Chinese people and compatriots in Taiwan should unite to put an end to further "splittist" activities, he added.
China released a government defence policy paper on Monday saying the military would crush any major Taiwan move towards independence.
The paper was released as senior Chinese lawmakers discussed a draft anti-secession law that analysts say may legally bind China to take military action if Taiwan declares statehood.
Hu said that China would push forward economic reform and opening up and continue to improve macro-economic controls, which have been aimed this year at slowing the nation's break-neck pace of growth.