Premier Wen Jiabao chaired four meetings with non-Communist parties and representatives from other fields between January 25 and February 1. They met to discuss the work report for the third session of the National People's Congress, which will be held on March 5.

People from various walks of life, including experts from science and technology, education, health, culture and sports circles were invited to the meetings and asked to air views on the report, which sums up the government's work in the past year and sets tasks for 2005.

"To do a good job, it is imperative to give scope to democracy, encourage the free airing of views, and accept supervision, while maintaining close ties with the masses of people and working for their interest," Wen said at one of the meetings.

Participants unanimously endorsed the framework and main contents of the report, and also raised some ideas and a couple of proposals for making specific revisions as well as further improving government work.

At the meeting attended by leaders of democratic parties, participants offered suggestions in a wide range of areas, including the development of rural economy, macroeconomic controls, energy conservation, land management and building a harmonious society.

At the meeting of economic and social experts and scholars, participants called for continued enhancing and improving of macroeconomic controls and stopping the blind pursuit of high economic growth rates in some regions.

At the meeting on science, education, health, culture and sports, Yang Zhigao, headmaster of an outlying rural school in southwestern Yunnan Province, called for increased support to compulsory education in rural areas inhabited by ethnic minority people.

At the meeting of business representatives, including five senior executives of large state-owned firms, three private business leaders and the head of one Sino-foreign joint venture, participants raised issues on reequipping state-owned enterprises, and the growth of non-public sectors. They also acknowledged the benefits of macroeconomic controls.

Wen thanked the participants for their views and suggestions and pledged that the State Council, China's cabinet, would seriously consider them in the course of revising the report and in future government work.

The Communist Party of China (CPC), the party in power, is attaching greater importance to stepping up multi-party cooperation and political consultation, saying that it is of "great importance" to developing and carrying forward socialist democracy, maintaining stability and unity, and building a harmonious society.

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a meeting on January 24 to discuss draft guidelines on further strengthening the construction of the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC.

The guidelines will be officially issued after further solicitation of views from the central committees of democratic parties and independent representatives.

(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2005)