China's top political advisory body concludes annual session, pledges help with reforms

BEIJING, March 12 -- Chinese top political advisor on Wednesday called on the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) to further its efforts to contribute to the deepening of the country's reforms in a comprehensive manner.

In his address at the closing meeting of the Second Session of the 12th CPPCC National Committee, Yu Zhengsheng said that this year's session has been "a manifestation of the vitality of the socialist democracy."

Yu, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, noted that China has embarked on a comprehensive reform drive and the essence of reform is "innovation."

The top political advisor called on the CPPCC to continue to coordinate relations, pool strength, make suggestions and proposals to the central leadership, and serve the overall interests of the country, in order to contribute to the deepening of the reforms.

A political resolution approved at the closing meeting also noted that China had made remarkable achievements in its reform and opening-up drive and modernization process.

It said China's reforms have now entered a critical stage and a "deep water zone," and called on political advisors to contribute to the deepening of reforms by conducting investigations and studies on key issues, enhancing democratic supervision, providing candid suggestions and pooling strength.

Efforts should be made to promote healthy and sustainable economic development and social harmony and stability, the resolution said.

The CPPCC should support the principle of "one country, two systems," help push forward ties across the Taiwan Strait, and expand friendly exchanges with overseas counterparts, it said, adding that consultative democracy should also be promoted.

Meanwhile, the top political advisory body also condemned the deadly train station attack in Kunming on March 1 that left 29 civilians dead.

The political resolution said social harmony and stability were essential to the fundamental interests of the country and the people.

"Members of the CPPCC National Committee strongly condemn the violent and terrorist incident in Kunming of Yunnan Province on March 1, support the decisive measures taken by the Party and the government to crack down on violent and terrorist activities in accordance with the law," the resolution read.

A group of knife-wielding assailants indiscriminately attacked civilians at a railway station in Kunming, provincial capital of Yunnan, on the evening of March 1, causing 29 deaths and injuring another 143.

The political resolution said the CPPCC must fully play its part in promoting social harmony and protecting national security and ethnic unity.

It added that the ethnic regional autonomous system must be improved to promote ethnic unity and ensure common prosperity.

The CPPCC National Committee session, which opened on March 3, also approved the report on the work of the Standing Committee of the 12th CPPCC National Committee over the past year, and the report on the proposals submitted by CPPCC National Committee members to the session this year.

By 2 p.m. on March 7, CPPCC National Committee members had submitted 5,875 proposals concerning the country's economic development and social governance.

According to the report on the proposals, political advisors paid great attention to China's reforms and other prominent issues concerning people's interests and well-being.

Political advisors raised more than 1,000 proposals regarding the deepening of China's reforms in a comprehensive manner, and put forward close to 1,000 proposals on the healthy and sustainable development of the economy.

About 1,500 proposals focused on improving people's well-being, some 600 on pollution prevention and ecological progress, and over 500 on the modernization of the country's governance capabilities.

Political advisors also offered suggestions on promoting core socialist values and modernization of China's national defense and army, the report said.

Top Communist Party of China (CPC) and state leaders Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli attended the closing meeting.

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 CPC, and a major manifestation of socialist democracy.

Members of the CPPCC are representatives of the CPC and non-Communist parties, personages without party affiliation, and representatives of people's organizations, ethnic minorities and various social strata.

The CPPCC also has the representation of compatriots of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, returned overseas Chinese, and specially invited people.