The Fifth Session of the Ninth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the most influential advisory body in China, is scheduled to begin Sunday afternoon and conclude on March 13.

Qi Huaiyuan, spokesman for the session, said Saturday afternoon that 1,511 of the 2,267 CPPCC members had reported to the Secretariat of the session, while 172 proposals on various issues and 327 texts of speeches to be delivered during the session had been received by Saturday noon.

During the session, CPPCC members are scheduled to hear and discuss a report on the work of the Standing Committee of the Ninth CPPCC National Committee and a report by the Ninth CPPCC National Committee on the handling of proposals since the last session.

They are also scheduled to attend as non-voting delegates the Fifth Session of the Ninth National People's Conference, and hear and discuss the work report by Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and other reports by some government ministries and judicial departments.

Among the resolutions to be tabled for approval at the annual session are a political resolution by the Fifth Session, and resolutions on the work report by the CPPCC Standing Committee and on the handling of the proposals received since the last session.

Li Ruihuan, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, will deliver a speech at the end of the session.

The spokesman said two press conferences have been planned in the process of the session, one on agriculture and ways to raise farmers' income, and the other on the market economy and credit in the Chinese society.

CPPCC Contributes to Lawmaking in China

The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) has made great contributions to the making and perfecting of some laws and regulations of China, the spokesman said.

Answering a question at a press conference here Saturday, Qi said last year, special committees of the CPPCC held research and consultations centering around the drafts and amendments of laws and regulations on investment fund, cultural heritage protection and prevention and control and sand.

Qi stressed that such work fully embodies the spirit of " consultations in CPPCC before decisions are made."

CPPCC Opposes Taiwan Authorities Inching toward "Independence of Taiwan"

China's top advisory body Saturday voiced its staunch opposition to the attempt by the Taiwan authorities to realize "independence of Taiwan" step by step.

Qi Huaiyuan, spokesman for the upcoming Fifth Session of the Ninth National Committee of the People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said the Taiwan authorities' move of inching toward "independence of Taiwan" aims to eventually split Taiwan from China, posing an extreme danger.

In responding to questions from a Hong Kong reporter at a press conference Saturday, the spokesman said the CPPCC supports the policies and proposals of the Chinese central government on resolving the issue of Taiwan.

He said CPPCC judges Taiwan authorities not just by its words but also by its deeds, which matter most.

(People's Daily March 3, 2002)