Political advisory body begins annual session
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-03-03 15:22

The Second Session of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top advisory body, opened at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

The opening session will be highlighted by a report of the work of the Standing Committee of the 10th CPPCC National Committee. More than 2,200 CPPCC National Committee members from across China will hear the report.

Chairman Jia Qinglin of the CPPCC National Committee will deliver the report, which used to be done by a vice chairman, for members to deliberate, said Zhang Guoxiang Tuesday, spokesman for the second session of the 10th CPPCC National Committee.

The meeting will lasts through March 12, Zhang Guoxiang said. The members will also hear and deliberate a work report by Vice Chairman Li Meng on the issue of proposals.

As of Tuesday's noon, the Secretariat had received 324 proposals, which mainly dwell on economic affairs, social security, educationand medical care, the spokesman said.

Corruption, farmer-related issues and the people's livelihood are also major topics of the proposals, which are what netizens want to be tackled at the upcoming annual sessions of the CPPCC and the National People's Congress, according to an on-line surveyco-launched by xinhuanet.com and the Economic Information newspaper.

During the CPPCC session, said Zhang, journalists are allowed to attend some panel discussions and two press conferences, one on the old industrial base in northeast China and the other on the private sector.

The CPPCC National Committee members are expected to share their views on a number of hot issues including structural problems in economic operation, the slowdown in the growth of farmers' income, food and drug safety, restructuring of state banks, and the anti-corruption campaign.

In response to a question raised by a Taiwanese reporter, Zhang said the question of Taiwan is connected to the reunification of the motherland and China's territorial integrity and sovereignty, which draws enormous attention from Chinese at home and abroad. It will also be a topic of members.

The CPPCC is a patriotic united front organization of the Chinese people, serving as a key mechanism for multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

The main functions of the CPPCC are to conduct political consultation, exercise democratic supervision and participate in the discussion and the handling of state affairs.