Mar. 3, 2013 (TSR) – The National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top political advisory body, convened its annual session in Beijing Sunday.
About 2,200 members of the 12th CPPCC National Committee from different sectors across the country will discuss major issues concerning the country’s development during the session, scheduled to conclude on March 12. New leaders of the top advisory body will also be elected at the session.
At the opening meeting in the Great Hall of the People, CPPCC National Committee Chairman Jia Qinglin delivered a report on the work of the committee’s Standing Committee over the past five years.
Jia said China has overcome “severe challenges” and made “extraordinary achievements” in reform, opening up and socialist modernization.
The CPPCC fully played its role in coordinating relations, pooling strengths, making suggestions and proposals to the central leadership, and serving the overall interests of the country, Jia said.
Over the past five years, a total of 28,930 proposals had been submitted by the CPPCC National Committee members, and 26,583 of them had been handled as of February 20, according to Wan Gang, vice chairman of the 11th CPPCC National Committee.
Jia said the CPPCC has made important contributions to the country’s development in various fields such as scientific development, social stability, China’s reunification and foreign exchanges.
He said the CPPCC, always focusing on the central task of economic development, made a large number of high-quality comments and suggestions on issues pertaining to economic and social development.
It also actively participated in social development and management and gave impetus to cultural reform and development, Jia said.
Jia highly praised the achievements made by the CPPCC, saying the political advisory body had “written a new chapter in its history”.
In regards to its future work, Jia said the CPPCC should better play its role as an important channel for promoting consultative democracy by enriching the forms of consultation and improving the consultative system.
“We should actively assist the Party and government in the work of getting the people to voice their demands, coordinating their interests, and safeguarding their rights and interests,” Jia said in his report.
Jia said the CPPCC must “firmly stay focused on the themes of unity and democracy” to consolidate social harmony and vitality.
“Unity and democracy are the historical foundation of the creation and development of the CPPCC,” Jia said, adding that they constitute the hallmark of the political advisory body.
An editorial published Sunday by the People’s Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said the ruling Party should tolerate different opinions or even sharp criticism.
Meanwhile, all democratic parties and CPPCC members should tell the truth, give forthright admonition and good suggestions to the Party, and be its outspoken and loyal friends, said the editorial.
“Unity produces strength, and democracy creates vitality,” Jia said, noting that unity and democracy need to be incorporated into the work of the CPPCC.
In his speech, Jia said the political advisory body should maintain close contact with CPPCC National Committee members from Hong Kong and Macao to get them to play positive roles in building their special administrative regions.
Exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan should be enhanced to cultivate more common interests for peaceful growth of cross-Strait relations, Jia said.
He also noted that the CPPCC should help deepen China’s relations with other countries through new channels and high-level visits.
Top Party and state leaders Hu Jintao, Xi Jinping, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli attended the opening meeting.
Founded in 1949, the CPPCC consists of elite figures 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.
Highlights of work report of China’s top political advisory body
China’s top political advisor Jia Qinglin delivered a report on the work of the country’s top political advisory body at the opening meeting of its annual session, which started in the Great Hall of the People Sunday afternoon.
Following are highlights of the Work Report of the Standing Committee of the 11th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, which was distributed to journalists upon the opening of the session:
BETTER CONSULTATION
— Solid progress was made in developing the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), with more than 420 consultative activities of all kinds conducted over the past five years.
— Democratic rights of the democratic parties and persons without party affiliation in the CPPCC were respected and ensured.
— The central committees of the democratic parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce submitted to the CPPCC National Committee a total of 1,347 proposals, 19,992 reports on social conditions and popular sentiment, and 310 speeches to be presented at meetings.
— The top political advisory body held 11 special meetings of the Standing Committee and special consultative meetings, carried out 509 investigations, studies and inspections, and made a large number of high-quality comments and suggestions on major economic and social issues.
CALLING FOR BALANCED GROWTH
— The proposals about developing strategic emerging industries, carrying out urbanization and implementing a maritime strategy were incorporated into the nation’s 12th Five-Year Development Plan (2011-2015) and other special plans.
— Proposals were put forwards on developing the western region, revitalizing old industrial bases in northeast China, and supporting the central region.
— Political advisors called for turning Hainan into an international tourist island, setting up the Western Taiwan Strait Economic Zone, the Central Plains Economic Zone, the economic zones in old revolutionary bases, the coastal economic belt in Liaoning Province, the Shandong Peninsula Blue Economic Zone, the Beibu Bay Economic Zone in Guangxi, and the international gateway to South Asia.
— They also proposed reducing poverty in less developed areas such as the Wuling Mountains and southwest China’s Guizhou Province.
ADVOCATING ENVIRONMENT ISSUES
— Political advisors offered advice on setting a binding target for reducing total energy consumption during the 12th Five-Year Plan period.
— They suggested the country to compensate environment damage caused by exploitation of natural resources and to develop experimental zones for integrated reform of resource-dependent areas.
— They advised on controlling urban air pollution, caring for forests, deepening tenure reform in collective forests, and protecting high-quality water resources in the sources of the Yangtze, the Yellow, and the Lancang rivers as well as in Hengshui and Qiandao lakes.
CONTRIBUTING TO SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
— A consultative meeting was held about how to strengthen and make innovations in social management. Political advisors suggested that the country get urban and rural communities to play their basic role in promoting social management, strengthen the social creditability system and public security system, set up a sound system for people to legally lodge complaints via letters or visits, and improve training of legal professionals.
— Political advisors have offered relief for serious natural disasters and contributed to rehabilitation.
— They took an active part in lifting people out of poverty by providing them with education and training, operating the Guangcai Program, which reduced poverty and boosted development, providing financial assistance for needy students, and bringing healthcare to and supporting education in poor rural areas.
HELPING CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
— The top political advisory body encouraged the launching of major cultural projects to protect the West Lake in Hangzhou, the Grand Canal and the Shudao Cultural Route and worked for their inclusion on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
— It promoted the protection of the Great Wall.
— It participated in the production of excellent movies and TV programs including “The Founding of a Republic” and “The Revolution of 1911.”
MORE EXCHANGES WITH OUTSIDE
— During the past five years, the top political advisory body hosted 66 delegations from Hong Kong and Macao with a total 2,687 members, sent 48 delegations to the two regions, and organized 14 inspection tours to the mainland for members from the two regions.
— It further expanded positive interaction with political parties, organizations, social groups, ordinary people and youth groups in Taiwan and sent 20 delegations of National Committee members to visit Taiwan; and invited a delegation of Taiwan local legislators to visit the mainland.
— Over the past five years, it also invited a total of 180 overseas Chinese from 43 countries to attend plenary sessions of the CPPCC National Committee in a nonvoting capacity, and arranged visits and inspections for them to witness the development in China.
— Over the past five years, it sent 163 delegations abroad, hosted 61 visiting delegations, held seven international conferences including the 21st Century Forum 2010, and conducted friendly exchanges with 253 institutions in 139 foreign countries and with 14 international or regional organizations.
MAIN EXPERIENCE FROM FIVE-YEAR WORK
— The top political advisory body must always uphold the leadership of the CPC and ensure the right orientation of the CPPCC’s cause.
— It must hold high the banners of patriotism and socialism and consolidate the common ideological and political foundation for working together.
— It must stay firmly focused on the themes of unity and democracy and consolidate and develop a fine state of harmony and vitality.
— It must concentrate on the central task of economic development, serve the overall interests of the country, and purposefully plan and advance the CPPCC’s work so as to make it a part of the overall work of the Party and country.
— It must put people first, work for them and always take safeguarding and realizing their fundamental interests as the starting point and goal.
— It must fully understand the important position and role of the CPPCC and enhance the sense of responsibility and mission to develop the CPPCC.
SUGGESTION FOR NEXT FIVE YEARS
— Thoroughly studying and implementing the guiding principles of the 18th CPC National Congress;
— Offering advice for spurring development in a scientific way and promoting social harmony;
— Giving impetus to improving the system of socialist consultative democracy;
— Further strengthening unity and friendship with compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and with overseas Chinese;
— Continuing to deepen friendly foreign relations;
— Actively promoting innovation and development of the CPPCC’s work.
Source: Xinhua
