Jia Qinglin, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), has called for "continuously displaying democracy" and "promoting unity" at the coming annual session of the country's top political consulting body.

Jia made this call Monday at the closing meeting of the Eighth Conference of the Standing Committee of the 10th CPPCC National Committee, which was held ahead of the Third Session of the 10th CPPCC National Committee which is due to open March 3.

Jia told CPPCC members to raise proposals for the 11th Five-Year Plan for social progress and economic development and contribute to "building a socialist harmonious society in China."

As a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party ofChina (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, he also told the CPC members among CPPCC National Committee members and standing members to play a leading role.

During the past three days, the participants heard an overview on a number of reports including those on the agenda of the annual session, a report on the work of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee and a report on the issue of proposals. These reports will be handed over to the annual session for approval.

At the meeting, Zheng Wantong was named the secretary-general of the annual session and other 21 people were made deputy secretary-generals, while 80 people were elected into new members of the 10th CPPCC National Committee.

A number of people were deprived of their CPPCC membership for various reasons, such as Li Dachang who was recently found to have conducted conduct malfeasant activities when he was a deputy governor of Sichuan Province. Others were promoted, for example a noted writer who was named chairman of a CPPCC National committee on culture, history and study.

The meeting was presided over by Vice Chairman Wang Zhongyu of the CPPCC National Committee and attended by other vice chairpersons including Liao Hui, Liu Yandong, Li Guixian, Zhang Siqing, Bai Lichen, Luo Haocai, Zhang Kehui, Zhou Tienong, Hao Jianxiu, Chen Kuiyuan, Abdul'ahat Abdulrixit, Xu Kuangdi, Li Zhaozhuo, Huang Mengfu, Zhang Huaixi, and Li Meng.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2005)