CPPCC convenes annual session, stresses unity, democracy

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 Feb. 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 the achievements made by the CPPCC, saying the political advisory body had "written a new chapter in its history".