Thursday, March 3, 2011

03/03 Jia Qinglin delivers CPPCC work report

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), delivers a report on the work of the country's top political advisory body at its annual session which starts in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Thursday afternoon. [Xinhua]


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 full session which started in the Great Hall of the People Thursday afternoon.

Following are the highlights of the Work Report of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, which was distributed to journalists upon the opening of the session:

Contributing to Twelfth Five-Year Plan

-- Over the past year, CPPCC members held in-depth discussions on the formulation of the Twelfth Five-Year Plan and submitted over 650 related proposals and speeches.

-- CPPCC organized investigations and studies and inspection tours on 16 important topics, including expanding domestic demand, enhancing the country's capacity for scientific and technological innovation, responding to climate change, ecological development, promoting balanced regional economic development, developing the marine economy, striking a balance between urbanization and building a new countryside, and advancing the reform of the pharmaceutical and health care systems and the income distribution system.

-- CPPCC will intimately integrate targets set forth in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan and the key work this year.

-- CPPCC will convene special meetings of the Standing Committee to deliberate on how to accelerate strategic economic restructuring and promote steady and rapid economic development this year.

Promoting ethnic solidarity, religious harmony

-- Over the past year, CPPCC organized National Committee members to conscientiously study and implement the guiding principles of the central leadership's Fifth Tibet Work Forum, Xinjiang Work Forum, and Conference on the Large-Scale Development of the Western Region.

-- CPPCC organized National Committee members to conduct investigations and inspections, interview and visit local people, and attend ethnic minority festivals and religious ceremonies, in order to strengthen ties with heads of religious groups and representatives and ordinary people of ethnic minority groups.

-- CPPCC National Committee members from ethnic minorities and religious groups voluntarily spoke to ethnic minority people and religious believers about the Communist Party's religious and ethnic policies, and they made contributions to enhancing ethnic solidarity and religious harmony.

-- The Chinese Committee on Religion and Peace organized the five major religious groups to pray together for the success of the Shanghai World Expo, which had a positive influence on society.

Boosting exchanges with Taiwan

-- Over the past year, CPPCC invited a delegation of representatives of public opinion in Taiwan, which was comprised of members of political parties and persons without party affiliation in Taiwan, to visit Beijing.

-- CPPCC sent a delegation to Taiwan by invitation for the first time under the name of the CPPCC Members Association. CPPCC used these occasions to explore a new approach to exchanges between CPPCC committee members and representatives of public opinion in Taiwan.

-- CPPCC made full use of the role of Heluo culture, cultural and historical data, Beijing and Kunqu opera, calligraphy and paintings, religious exchanges and the Whampoa spirit as a bridge and link to increase the solidarity of Chinese sons and daughters and use cultural exchanges to cultivate in Taiwan compatriots the sense of being a part of the Chinese nation.

-- CPPCC made full use of the Shanghai World Expo, the Guangzhou Asian Games and other platforms for cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation to actively develop exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan, and strengthen emotional ties and increase common understanding between people across the Straits.

-- This year, CPPCC will actively promote the deepening of exchanges between CPPCC committee members and representatives of public opinion in Taiwan; broaden contacts with relevant political parties, organizations, social groups, influential figures from all walks of life and the general public in the island of Taiwan; and effectively do its work related to the people of Taiwan.

-- CPPCC will actively promote the implementation of the cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), encourage the Western Taiwan Straits Economic Zone to fully play its role in leading the way and exploring new paths, and further expand cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation in the areas of economics, trade and culture.

Expanding foreign contacts

-- CPPCC successfully held the 21st Century Forum 2010, and noted statesmen, experts, scholars and entrepreneurs from many countries carried out in-depth discussions and exchanges on global governance, responding to climate change, China's relations with the world and other major issues, and reached consensus on many important areas.

-- CPPCC launched the Public Diplomacy Quarterly and carried out joint investigations and studies on public diplomacy.

-- This year, CPPCC will continue to exchange high-level visits with other countries, deepen traditional friendships, increase mutual political trust with relevant countries, and stimulate pragmatic cooperation in economic relations and trade and other key areas in accordance with the overall arrangements for the country's diplomatic work.

-- CPPCC will encourage exchanges and cooperation between the National Committee's subcommittees and peer institutions in other countries; increase contact with parliaments and congresses, major think tanks, mainstream mass media, and influential figures in foreign countries; and constantly intensify the CPPCC's public diplomacy.

Commemorating Revolution 1911

-- CPPCC will hold a mass meeting this year that focuses on invigorating the country and rejuvenating the nation to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Revolution of 1911.