The Tenth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top advisory body, convened its fourth annual full session Friday.

Top Party and state leaders including Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Zeng Qinghong, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan were present when the session opened in the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing at 3 PM.

More than 2,000 advisors participating in the session are listening to a keynote report by CPPCC National Committee Chairman Jia Qinglin.

They will hear another report during the session on how their proposals and suggestions regarding China's reforms and development had been handled since last session in March 2005.

The top political consultants will also be present at the upcoming fourth annual session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) -- China's top legislature, hearing and discussing the report on the government work delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao, and discussing the draft guidelines of the 11th Five-Year (2006- 2010) Development Guidelines for National Economic and Social Development.

The fourth session is expected to last about ten days and conclude on the morning of March 13.

Founded in 1949, the CPPCC consists of elite members of the Chinese society who are willing to serve as the think tank for the government and for the country's legislative and judicial organs.

As an open forum where the ruling Communist Party, the non- Communist parties of China and people with no party affiliations discuss state affairs freely and on an equal footing, the CPPCC National Committee has been the manifestation of China's socialist democracy.

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2006)