Issues concerning the fundamental interests of the people have dominated the Fourth Plenary Session of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top advisory body. The session is scheduled to conclude on March 13.

As at 5 PM on March 8, the deadline for the submission of proposals, CPPCC members had submitted 5,030 proposals. The proposals relate to major issues concerning the implementation of the 11th Five-Year Development Guidelines (2006-2010), building a new socialist countryside, science and technology innovation, building an energy saving and environmentally friendly society, promoting the coordinated development of the regional economy, accelerating the reform of the social security system, medical reform, and production safety.

Many CPPCC members expressed their satisfaction at being able to participate in the supervision and management of state affairs in a democratic way.

“The political advisory body is platform for me to express my views and suggestions on the work of the government. Every CPPCC member is responsible for speaking on the people's behalf,” said Tian Ruizhang, former vice president of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).

Tian’s view was echoed by Lu Jiang, chairman of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing: “Through our visits to different provinces and cities, I found that the function of the CPPCC has been greatly enhanced. The advice and suggestions of CPPCC members not only help improve the performance of the central government but also benefit the work of local governments. Some have been used to correct decision-making of governments at all levels.

“In the future, I think CPPCC members should pay more attention to improving the quality rather than quantity of their proposals.”

Miao Gengshu, former president of China Minmetals Group, said: “People have great expectations of the CPPCC because it gathers together a large number of experts and specialists from various fields. If these specialists are allowed to conduct more field investigations and take into consideration the views of grassroots members, they can make more constructive suggestions on the work of local governments.”

Chen Changjie, a leading scientist in forest entomology, urged CPPCC members to contribute responsibly not only during the 10-day session, but also in their professional lives. “The ten-day session is a chance for us to exchange opinions. But after the session, we should play a more active role in promoting and supervising the implementation of the measures and policies adopted during the session.”

Wu Chunhe, former chief editor of Economic Daily, also made suggestions on how to make scientific and enforceable proposals: a good proposal should focus on the fundamental interests of the public and reflect their desires and needs; supporting information and analyses should be pertinent and in-depth; a proposal should also include concrete measures and suggestions to solve the problems it raises. In addition, field investigations are extremely important.”

Considered the government's de facto "think tank," the CPPCC comprises committees run by public figures from various walks of life. Making proposals is the most direct way for CPPCC members to participate in state affairs and in the drafting of state policies. Over the last year, the CPPCC forwarded more than 4,000 proposals for consideration, and almost all of them have been considered, according to a work report prepared by Luo Haocai, vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee.

On March 1, the General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee issued a document entitled, “Opinions of the CPC Central Committee on Strengthening the Work of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)”, which clearly states that the CPPCC is an important organ of multi-party cooperation and political consultation, and stresses that the CPPCC will play a bigger role in the future.

(China.org.cn by staff reporter Wang Qian, March 12, 2006)