Special Report: NPC, CPPCC Annual Sessions 2008

BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisory body on Monday started its annual full session in a year that will see the Olympic Games and the 30th anniversary of the reform and opening up policy, while advisors were urged to contribute more proposals for the country's sound development.

"We should contribute suggestions and efforts focused on applying the Scientific Outlook on Development," said top political advisor Jia Qinglin while delivering a work report to the First Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

He urged political advisors to pay close attention to people's well being and assist the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the government in solving the practical problems "that are of greatest concern to the people and most directly affect their interests".

A total of 2,195 CPPCC National Committee members coming throughout the country attended the opening meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. At the annual session, they will underline major concerns of the nation and elect the leadership for the CPPCC in the coming five years.

The Scientific Outlook on Development, initiated by the CPC to guide the country's development, stresses harmony between man and nature, economic growth and environmental protection.

China's economy has been growing rapidly in the past three decades and now ranks as the fourth largest in the world, compared with the situation of "once on the verge of collapse" before 1978 when the reform and opening up drive was launched.

However, the country also faces problems of yawning wealth gap, high energy consumption and pollution to the environment.

Liu Yanyun, a CPPCC National Committee member and board chairman of a food company in Hebei, said "I witnessed the great changes brought forth by the reform and opening up policy, and personally I became the boss of a large company from a village youth. We shall join hands with all walks of life to further carryout the policy."

Jia also said the CPPCC National Committee should help members do research on how to successfully host the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the 2010 World Exposition in Shanghai.

The CPPCC, which is an important component of China's political system, has an irreplaceable role in developing socialist democratic politics, Jia said.

The CPPCC National Committee members have listened to the government work reports and other important reports, and submitted comments and suggestions about revising the Constitution, formulating important laws and regulations such as the Anti-Secession Law over the past five years.

Leading comrades of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee participated in 71 group discussions of the CPPCC National Committee members on state affairs, Jia said.

Responsible persons from the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and concerned departments listened to speeches at the sessions of the CPPCC National Committee and participated in group discussions 1,300 person-times.

He also urged political advisors to join hands with Taiwan people in opposing and containing separatist activities aimed at "Taiwan independence".

Top CPC and state leaders Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Zeng Qinghong, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang were present at the opening meeting.

The spokesman for the CPPCC session Wu Jianmin said Sunday that more eligible non-Communists are expected to become high-ranking officials in China following last year's appointments of two non-Communist ministers.

More than 60 percent of the 11th CPPCC National Committee members were non-CPC members, and all the 56 ethnic groups have their representatives in the top advisory body, he added.

Zhang Meiying, 10th CPPCC National Committee vice chairperson, reported to the advisors at the opening meeting on how their proposals and suggestions had been handled in the past five years.

The political consultants have raised 21,843 proposals on politics, economy, science and other issues into file, of which more than 99 percent have received response from relative departments or have been handled in line with China's laws and regulations.

Founded in 1949, the CPPCC consists of elite members of the Chinese society who are willing to serve the think tank for the government and for the country's legislative and judicial organs.

As an open forum where the ruling CPC, non-Communist parties and people without party affiliation discuss state affairs freely and on an equal footing, the CPPCC has been the manifestation of China's socialist democracy.  

 

Source: Xinhua