Beijing is ready for the Fifth Session of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC) and the Fifth Session of the Ninth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which are due to open next week.

The Capital Automobile Co. Ltd. has prepared and obtained state safety checks on 400 cars and buses for the two meetings. Some have already been sent to pick up NPC deputies and CPPCC National Committee members who had arrived in Beijing.

The traffic control departments have tightened the management of daily traffic to ensure smooth transportation during the two meetings.

The 13 hotels where 5,800 NPC deputies and CPPCC members are to stay, have been equipped with up-to-date telecommunication facilities. The Beijing Grand Hotel has installed broad-band wires in more than 200 guestrooms.

The Friendship Hotel, which is to play host to 500 CPPCC members, has placed the Chinese character "west" on the western wall of each room for the convenience of Muslims.

More than 2,000 Chinese and foreign reporters from various news agencies and newspapers have applied to cover the two events. China Central Television is to carry special programs on four channels.

The Overseas Edition of the People's Daily, the leading Chinese newspaper, has opened a hotline for information on the two meetings Tuesday. Sina together with the Cynet online are issuing a questionnaire relating to the two meetings.

Sources from the NPC said the 4,323 proposals raised by NPC deputies since the fourth NPC session have been dealt with. In addition, 98 percent of the proposals put forward by the CPPCC members have been responded to.

(Xinhua News Agency February 28, 2002)