Stage set for consultative democracy

Nation's political advisers urged to focus efforts on key challenges

China's national political advisers have been urged to focus on major and tough state tasks and uphold democratic oversight to offer valuable suggestions on State affairs.

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, called on them to do so during his work report on Saturday to 2,149 national political advisers.

The 13th CPPCC National Committee began its annual plenary session on Saturday in Beijing, ushering in the political high season that will continue with the opening of the country's top legislature on Monday.

In the next two weeks, top political advisers who have gathered in Beijing will discuss major political, economic and social issues in the world's most populous nation and second-largest economy.

President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders attended the opening meeting at the Great Hall of the People.

Yu said national political advisers will focus advice and efforts on the main issues and conduct in-depth consultations on State affairs.

"We will focus on advice and efforts on the main issue in securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and embarking on a journey to fully build a modern socialist China," Yu said.

He said this year's main tasks will be to offer suggestions on poverty alleviation in extremely poor areas, address pollution, prevent financial risks, develop the real economy and improve the quality of supply.

He also said the CPPCC National Committee will uphold consultative democracy throughout the processes of political consultation, exercise democratic oversight, and participate in the deliberation of State affairs.

Yu said the cornerstone of the CPPCC's work is to remain committed to its nature.

"The CPPCC is an organization of the united front, an important organ of multiparty cooperation and political consultation, and a major form of people's democracy," he said.

"It is not an organ of power, nor a decision-making organ. It is an important platform for all Chinese political parties, social organizations and people from all ethnic groups and all sectors of society to work together and participate in the deliberation of State affairs in a democratic manner."

Over the past five years, the CPPCC has received 29,378 proposals, and 23,975 of them were accepted and filed, said Wan Gang, vice-chairman of the 12th CPPCC National Committee, on Saturday while giving a work report on the proposals.

As of Feb 20, 99 percent of the filed proposals had been acted upon.

"Most of the proposals have either been studied or advanced," Wan said.

Zhang Kaili, a member of the CPPCC National Committee and also a well-known actress, said," It is a good idea to focus on major issues such as poverty alleviation."

Zhang's proposal is to help poverty-stricken areas develop culture.

"When participating in a reality show last year, I saw the plight of left-behind children in poverty-stricken areas, which drew my attention to poverty alleviation through developing culture," she said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.