The major tasks of the CPPCC were outlined by Ye Xuanping, vice chairman of the 9th CPPCC National Committee, at the opening of the Fifth Session of the Ninth CPPCC National Committee in Beijing Sunday afternoon.

He pledged CPPCC's continued efforts to look after laid-off workers, urban poor, impoverished people in mountainous areas and other disadvantaged social groups.

CPPCC will carefully study the issues of how to improve the income distribution system, how to correct and standardize the market and how to build a social credit system, said Ye Xuanping, adding that CPPCC will make the safeguarding of the immediate interests of the common people the starting point in performing its functions and obligations and making proposals.

He promised that CPPCC will keep tract of and report prominent problems that are most representative and reflect social trends so as to make CPPCC an important channel for the CPC Central Committee to obtain reliable and true information and hear views that hit the nail on the head.

CPPCC will try to further promote socialist spiritual civilization by adhering to the rule by law and the rule by virtue, Ye said. It will continue to assist government organs in improving style of work and to carry out publicity and education in the laws and policies concerning minorities and religion for the purpose of consolidating and developing the great unity of all nationalities throughout the country. It will provide guidance to religious believers to take clear-cut stand against the sabotaging activities by national separatists, religious extremists, terrorists and evil Falun Gong cultists, said the CPPCC National Committee vice-chairman.

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2002)