Report on the Work of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)

Fellow Members,On behalf of the Standing Committee of the Tenth CPPCC National Committee, I would now like to submit a report on its work for your deliberation and approval.I. Review of the Work in 2006China made great achievements in reform, opening up and socialist modernization and the cause of the CPPCC developed vigorously in 2006. Under the correct leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary, the people of all our ethnic groups comprehensively implemented the Scientific Outlook on Development, strove to create a harmonious socialist society, worked together with one heart and one mind, made further progress in socialist economic, political, cultural and social development, and took another firm step toward our country’s objective of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. The CPPCC National Committee and its Standing Committee conscientiously implemented the Guidelines of the CPC Central Committee on Strengthening the Work of the CPPCC, and held high the banner of patriotism and socialism. They adhered to the two main themes of unity and democracy and concentrated on the central tasks of the Party and the state. They effectively performed their functions of political consultation, democratic oversight and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs. They actively promoted innovation in their work, energetically carried out theoretical research, strove to improve themselves, and made further progress in all aspects of their work. 1. We effectively implemented the Guidelines of the CPC Central Committee on Strengthening the Work of the CPPCC. Early last year, the Central Committee issued the Guidelines, which make it clear that the CPPCC is a great creation the CPC made by integrating the Marxist-Leninist theories of the united front, political parties and democratic politics with China’s concrete realities, an important political and organizational form by which the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC is implemented, and an essential part of China’s political system that plays an irreplaceable role in the country’s political activities. The Guidelines clearly point out that China’s socialist democracy takes two important forms, one in which the people exercise their power by means of elections and voting, and the other in which people from all walks of life are extensively consulted in order to achieve as much consensus as possible on matters of common concern before major decisions are made. These Guidelines have great significance for strengthening the work of the CPPCC and are a programmatic document guiding the development of the cause of the CPPCC in this new stage in the new century. The National Committee made arrangements for the study and implementation of the Guidelines as an important task. The decision to study and implement the Guidelines was adopted at the Twelfth Meeting of the Standing Committee. We convened meetings of the Chairperson’s Council and the Secretary-General’s Council of the National Committee to undertake a special study of the Guidelines and made them an important part of National Committee members’ group study and employees’ training. Through the study of the Guidelines, the National Committee applied the Central Committee’s important theory, principles and policies concerning CPPCC work in everything it did, and promoted continuous development of the CPPCC’s cause. In order to further deepen the study and implementation of the guiding principles of the Guidelines, the National Committee sent delegations to different localities to see first-hand how they were studying and implementing the Guidelines. After the Central Committee issued the Guidelines, Party committees across the country gave careful consideration to them and held meetings of their standing committees or other special meetings to discuss what arrangements should be made for the study and implementation of the Guidelines, and they promptly issued instructions for implementing the Guidelines and promoting CPPCC work in view of local conditions. Local CPPCC committees made progress in standardizing and improving their procedures, mechanisms and systems for political consultation, democratic oversight and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs, expanded the roles of political parties, sectors of society and members of CPPCC committees, made greater efforts to improve the CPPCC, further expanded publicity about it, put forward many good ideas, created a wealth of new experience, and created the gratifying situation where the entire society values and supports the development of the cause of the CPPCC. 2. We carefully organized a plenary session of the National Committee and meetings of the Standing Committee.Plenary sessions of the National Committee are the highest level at which the CPPCC performs its functions. During the Fourth Plenary Session of the Tenth National Committee all National Committee members deliberated government affairs and made suggestions on the Report on the Work of the Government, the Outline of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan and a number of major issues in economic and social development with a keen sense of responsibility. Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and other leaders of the Party and state attended group meetings of the National Committee to exchange opinions on state affairs frankly with the democratic parties, people’s organizations and persons from all ethnic groups and sectors of society. This enriched the content of the CPPCC’s political consultation. After giving four important guidelines for developing relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits in the new circumstances at the Third Plenary Session of the Tenth National Committee, General Secretary Hu Jintao made an important speech at the Fourth Plenary Session on establishing the socialist concept of honor and disgrace, which mainly consists of eight maxims.* The speech received a favorable response and broad support from all members of the National Committee and from all sectors of society. This showed how much importance the Central Committee attaches to promoting socialist democracy and how important a role the CPPCC plays in China’s political activity. When the National Committee is in recess, political consultation occurs primarily at meetings of its Standing Committee. At the fourteenth and fifteenth meetings of the Standing Committee held last year, its members focused their discussion on themes of the meetings and made suggestions. The Central Committee and the State Council attached great importance to their suggestions for stimulating the development of a new socialist countryside, for establishing and improving a national system of independent innovation, and for strengthening development of a harmonious socialist society, and some of them were incorporated into documents issued by the central leadership. Leaders of the central authorities made important reports at the meetings, and leaders of over 40 ministries and commissions attended the meetings to inform Standing Committee members of new developments and solicit their comments. All this presents a vivid picture of how political consultation has been carried out in making and implementing major policy decisions. 3. We conscientiously did successful research and consultations on special topics.Research on special topics is important basic work of the CPPCC. Last year, the subcommittees of the National Committee cooperated closely with the democratic parties, local CPPCC committees and relevant departments in systematically carrying out research focused on comprehensive, overall and futuristic issues in economic, political, cultural and social development and on issues affecting the vital interests of the people. Their research resulted in very impressive achievements: all 44 research reports and proposals on special topics were adopted or given formal reply by the Central Committee or relevant departments. On the basis of extensive research and investigation, we held the Forum on Promoting Sound Development of the Non-public Sector of the Economy. After the forum, we carried out in-depth inquiries on some major issues having a direct bearing on the sound development of the non-public sector of the economy, such as giving non-public enterprises equal market access and equal treatment, improving the environment for their development, and making them more aware of their social responsibilities, and we submitted valuable reports on them to the Central Committee. Holding consultative conferences on special topics is an active exploration the Standing Committee carries out to improve and make innovations in the forms of consultation. The Standing Committee held two special consultative conferences last year, one focused on implementing the strategy of large-scale development of the western region and the other on implementing the National Long- and Medium-Term Program for Scientific and Technological Development. At the conferences members of the Standing Committee carried out mutual exchanges with leaders from the State Council and various ministries and commissions. The government officials kept the Standing Committee members abreast of events and the two sides exchanged views, thereby giving full embodiment to the unique role of the CPPCC in democratic consultation and discussing state affairs on an equal footing. At the conferences, basic ideas were put forward on continuing to make innovations and deepen the large-scale development of the western region and policy suggestions were made on continuing to promote this development in order to adapt to the requirements of the new situation. Basic ideas were also put forward on deepening institutional reforms, integrating scientific and technological resources and exploiting overall advantages, and suggestions were made on establishing a sound system and mechanism of scientific and technological innovation. We reported in detail the results of the conferences to the Central Committee, the State Council and relevant departments to provide an important basis and reference for them in implementing major state policy decisions. 4. We further expanded the role of the democratic parties and persons without party affiliation in the CPPCC.The CPPCC is an important organ of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC. The Standing Committee puts it high on its agenda for self-improvement to get the democratic parties and persons without party affiliation to fully play their role. It strives to strengthen the unity and cooperation of the democratic parties and persons without party affiliation in the CPPCC. Over the past year, the National Committee invited leaders of the central committees of the democratic parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and persons without party affiliation to participate in or take the lead in its review of the study and implementation of the Guidelines at the local level and in its important inspection tours and foreign affairs activities. The subcommittees initiated ten joint research efforts with the central committees of the democratic parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and members of the National Committee without party affiliation. They also organized the first joint inspection tour with participation of National Committee members from various democratic parties and walks of life. The central committees of the democratic parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce submitted a total of 201 proposals and 3,416 factual reports on social conditions and popular sentiment. They also submitted texts of 70 speeches at the plenary session of the National Committee, the meetings of the Standing Committee and consultative conferences on special topics. Important comments and suggestions made by the central committees of the democratic parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and persons without party affiliation were adopted by the Central Committee and the State Council. 5. We strove to improve the work of submitting proposals and carrying out inspections by National Committee members.The Standing Committee innovatively and energetically improved the work of submitting proposals and carrying out inspections by National Committee members. It adopted a number of measures to improve the quality of proposals submitted, strengthen oversight over the handling of proposals, expand publicity of them, and further increase their effectiveness. It also continued to improve the work of carrying out inspections by National Committee members by adjusting the orientation of topic selection, exploring different ways of forming inspection delegations and improving the report and reply mechanism. In addition, it held a meeting on the National Committee’s work of submitting proposals and a meeting on inspections by National Committee members on the basis of hearing a wide range of opinions from different parties, including state organs, the central committees of the democratic parties and local CPPCC committees. At these meetings, we systematically reviewed our achievements and experience in submitting proposals and carrying out inspections by National Committee members over the past 50 plus years and formulated an approach to reform focused on creating a sound, balanced and effective mechanism for submitting proposals that takes the basic requirement of submitting proposals to be improving their quality and the efficiency of handling them as the goal and takes institutional development as the way to guarantee the goal is reached. We also established it as the main task of National Committee members on their inspection tours to carry out inspections and investigations, to make comments and suggestions on policies, to report on social conditions and popular sentiment, and to undertake democratic oversight. The Decision on Improving the CPPCC’s Work of Submitting Proposals and the Decision on Improving the Work of Carrying Out Inspections by Members of the CPPCC National Committee, which were adopted at the meetings, were important measures taken to implement the Guidelines. These documents will have a great impact on our efforts to raise the work of submitting proposals and carrying out inspections to a new level. 6. We vigorously promoted the CPPCC’s study and theoretical research.The Standing Committee continued to give priority to study. It organized National Committee members in an extensive study of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, major strategic concepts such as the Scientific Outlook on Development, the building of a harmonious socialist society, important principles and policies of the Party and the government, as well as many areas of knowledge. Upholding the system of group study sessions for its members, the Standing Committee held four such sessions on the new scientific model of development in China, the international situation, China’s diplomatic work, Chinese culture in the context of globalization, and how to get religions to play an active role in promoting social harmony. The Standing Committee also intensified efforts to train National Committee members. More than 1,700 of them attended study and discussion sessions organized either directly by the National Committee or by provincial committees under the auspices of the National Committee.Further progress was made in the CPPCC’s theoretical research. The CPPCC Theory Research Association was founded, and the first symposium on CPPCC theory was held. The symposium got a positive response from people in all sectors of society, received more than 290 papers, and made a number of theoretical achievements. The establishment of this association not only integrates resources, expands the contingent of theoreticians and creates a platform, but also provides a foundation for research on CPPCC theory to become more open, widespread, professional and scientific. It also further clarified the fact that CPPCC theory is a well-integrated, scientific intellectual system with rich content and a complete structure. The symposium thoroughly analyzed the situation that theoretical research on the CPPCC faces and the pressing problems it needs to solve and pointed out the primary orientation this research should take. It revealed the impressive results that have been made in this research as well as its tremendous vitality. 7. We worked extensively to strengthen unity and friendship with our compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and with overseas Chinese nationals.The Standing Committee steadfastly upheld the principle of “one country, two systems,” under which Hong Kong people administer Hong Kong and Macao people administer Macao with a high degree of autonomy, and worked to safeguard and promote the long-term prosperity and stability of the two regions. When they were participating in activities in Hong Kong and Macao, the Chairman and vice chairpersons of the National Committee visited members of the National Committee and persons from all sectors of society in the two regions to learn about social conditions and listen to their comments and suggestions. We strengthened ties with National Committee members from Hong Kong and Macao, promptly informed them of the relevant principles and policies of the Central Committee and the guiding principles of the meetings of the National Committee, supported and took part in their activities, took an interest in the development of their careers, and arranged for them to make inspection tours on the mainland. We conducted investigations and research on special topics and guided National Committee members from Hong Kong and Macao to better play their role under the “one country, two systems” principle. We launched a comprehensive gathering of cultural and historical data about Hong Kong, and our publishing work related to the return of Macao to the motherland progressed smoothly. We extensively publicized the Central Committee’s principles and policies toward Taiwan and vigorously did work related to the island in many areas and in various ways. We did a good job in our work related to political parties, organizations and persons from all sectors of society in Taiwan. We strengthened contacts with our compatriots from all walks of life on the island, promoted individual visits and economic and cultural exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, resolutely opposed and contained secessionist forces and their activities aimed at Taiwan independence, and safeguarded and promoted the steady development of peaceful cross-Straits relations. Continuing to take garnering the support of overseas Chinese nationals, pooling their wisdom and utilizing their strength as our goal and serving them as our purpose, we deepened our friendship with them, strengthened our ties with them, and safeguarded their legitimate rights and interests and those of returned overseas Chinese and their relatives.8. We vigorously expanded the CPPCC’s foreign contacts.In coordination with the state’s overall diplomatic arrangements, the Standing Committee made full use of the characteristics and advantages of the CPPCC’s foreign contacts to continue to develop its foreign contacts, and conducted exchanges and cooperation with similar organizations in other countries in a vigorous, pragmatic and steady manner. In the past year the National Committee sent 20 missions to visit 49 countries, including 10 high-level missions headed by its Chairman or vice chairpersons; played host to 15 delegations from 12 countries and 2 international organizations; and established friendships with 13 institutions in 5 countries and 3 international or regional organizations. In our foreign contacts, we introduced the achievements China has made in reform and opening up and the modernization drive, discussed China’s independent foreign policy of peace and its aspiration to build a harmonious world that enjoys lasting peace and common prosperity, explained the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, helped the international community better understand China’s resolve to pursue the path of peaceful development, and increased its understanding of the country’s political system and of its CPPCC as a form of democracy. In addition, we worked to find specific solutions to major problems affecting China’s sovereignty and fundamental interests, and achieved positive results.The Standing Committee got the China Economic and Social Council and the China Committee on Religion and Peace to fully play their role as important platforms for its foreign contacts. Last year, the China Economic and Social Council set up a mechanism for holding roundtable meetings with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on a regular basis, successfully presided over the 2006 conference of the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (IAESCSI) and its Board meeting, and prompted the IAESCSI to set “strengthen international cooperation, promote common development and create a harmonious world” as the theme of its tenth general assembly to be held in Beijing in June 2007. The China Committee on Religion and Peace sent delegations to attend the Eighth World Conference on Religion and Peace and the relevant meetings and activities of the Asian Conference on Religion and Peace, where it introduced China’s policy on the freedom of religious belief and experiences in ensuring it and expressed the wish of our country’s religious community to safeguard and promote peace and work with others to build a harmonious world. In addition to completing these major tasks over the past year, the Standing Committee did all its regular work. We recorded 4,999 proposals and referred them to relevant departments. We organized 23 inspection teams consisted of 673 members of the Standing Committee and the National Committee, which wrote a number of inspection reports. We published 265 issues of the CPPCC Bulletin, which received 122 comments by leaders of the Central Committee and the State Council. We handled more than 26,000 letters from the people and received 685 visits from National Committee members, members of the united front, celebrities and ordinary people. All this provided leading Party and government bodies with a large quantity of information about the real conditions at the primary level and gave them an understanding of the hopes and demands of people of all walks of life. It gave full play to the role of the CPPCC in democratic oversight and played a part in solving a number of problems of widespread social concern that the people had strongly complained about. We held a grand celebration of the 140th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. We expanded publicity about the CPPCC through mass media such as radio, television, newspapers, periodicals and the Internet. We constantly strengthened guidance over the work of local CPPCC committees and actively expanded contacts and exchanges with them.Fellow Members, The National Committee owes the progress and achievements it made in all aspects of its work over the past year to the strong leadership of the Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary, to the concerted efforts of the CPPCC committees at all levels, the organizations participating in the CPPCC and all members of the CPPCC committees, and to the full support of Party committees and governments at all levels and all sectors of society. Here, on behalf of the Standing Committee I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of them.We have also clearly seen that many aspects of our work fall short of the requirements the new situation and new tasks impose on it and of the expectations of the many members of the CPPCC committees, and that we still have many problems that require further study and resolution. These include, for example, how to improve the CPPCC’s working procedures and mechanisms and its ways and methods for performing its functions as it puts the Guidelines into practice; how to make better use of the CPPCC, a form of democracy in China, in the practice of developing our socialist democratic politics to expand the orderly participation of the public in political affairs; and how to make full use of the role of the CPPCC in balancing relations, focusing strength, making proposals and serving the overall interests of the country to promote unity and harmony among all political parties, organizations, ethnic groups, social strata and persons from all sectors of society in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and a harmonious socialist society. In the new year, we need to take effective measures to improve our work. We sincerely hope that you will share your criticisms and opinions on the work of the Standing Committee.II. Work Arrangements for 2007The year 2007 is a very important year for the causes of the Party and country. The Seventeenth National Congress of the CPC will be convened in the second half of this year. This is an important event in the political life of the whole Party and all the people. So it is very important for the CPPCC to do all its work well this year. In the new year, we must hold high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, fully implement the Scientific Outlook on Development, earnestly follow the guiding principles set out at the Sixteenth National Congress of the CPC and at the third through sixth plenary sessions of the Sixteenth Central Committee, and continue to implement the Guidelines of the CPC Central Committee on Strengthening the Work of the CPPCC. We must uphold and improve the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC and consolidate and expand the broadest possible patriotic united front. We must focus on the central task of economic development, serve the overall interests of the country, keep the themes of unity and democracy firmly in mind, and conscientiously perform our functions of political consultation, democratic oversight and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs. We must complete all our tasks with a heightened sense of political responsibility and high morale in this last year of the term of the current National Committee. 1. We will thoroughly implement the Guidelines of the CPC Central Committee on Strengthening the Work of the CPPCC to get the CPPCC to fully play its role in the political activity of the state.We will continue to implement the guiding principles of the Guidelines, uphold and improve the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, keep to the road of political development under socialism with Chinese characteristics, and get the CPPCC to fully play its important role in developing socialist democratic politics and socialist political civilization. We need to integrate study of the Guidelines with a review of our work, thoroughly review the new successful experiences the National Committee had in carrying out its functions in the course of its work over the past few years. We will convene meetings of local CPPCC committees to exchange experiences when appropriate, promote innovations in CPPCC theory, institutions and work, further deepen our understanding and our grasp of universal law, carry our work forward, and provide a useful frame of reference for future development of the cause of the CPPCC. In the course of constantly promoting the institutionalization, standardization and procedurization of the way the CPPCC carries out its functions, we will further intensify research on carrying out our function of democratic oversight, bring it within the scope of our political consultation and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs and of all aspects of our regular work, improve the mechanism for exercising democratic oversight, and make democratic oversight more effective. We also need to strengthen and improve the work of preparing factual reports on social conditions and public sentiment and the information and publicity work in an innovative spirit. In the course of studying and implementing the guiding principles of the Seventeenth Congress, we need to integrate the study and implementation of all the requirements for the CPPCC with the full implementation of the guiding principles of the Guidelines, and make full use of the role of the CPPCC, a distinctively Chinese form of democracy, to contribute to the accomplishment of all the tasks set out at the Seventeenth Congress. 2. We will fully implement the Scientific Outlook on Development and make suggestions focused on how to promote sound and rapid development of the national economy.We will continue to focus on the central task of economic development, serve the overall interests of the country, and perform the functions and play the role of the CPPCC by focusing on making economic and social development more scientific and promoting sound and rapid development of the national economy. We will carefully arrange for members of the National Committee and leaders of the Central Committee to discuss state affairs together during this session. We will also properly arrange for National Committee members from all sectors of society to participate in consultation and discussion about this year’s Report on the Work of the Government and important draft laws during this session. We will organize successful meetings of the Standing Committee centered on discussing major issues in developing the national economy and on studying and implementing the guiding principles of the Seventeenth Congress. We will hold a special consultative conference on how to accelerate the development of the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone and promote regional economic cooperation and development in the Beibu Gulf area. We will organize special research projects and inspection tours for National Committee members focused on how to strengthen and improve macroeconomic regulation, restructure the economy, change the pattern of growth, strengthen conservation of energy and resources, protect the environment, promote reform, opening up and independent innovation, stimulate social development and solve problems concerning the people’s wellbeing, and we will achieve great results and provide them to decision-making bodies for their consideration. 3. We will rally all social forces to contribute to the building of a harmonious socialist society.Everyone shares the responsibility for making society harmonious and everyone benefits from a harmonious society. The CPPCC is the broadest possible patriotic united front organization and should play a positive role in creating a harmonious socialist society. We need to steadfastly make development of the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of our people the starting and ending point of our work. We need to put people first, improve their wellbeing, and actively help the Party and government solve the most practical problems that are of most concern to the people and most directly affect their interests. We need to get the CPPCC to fully play its role in balancing relations, focusing strength, making proposals and serving the overall interests of the country so as to promote harmonious relations among political parties, ethnic groups, religions, social strata, and compatriots at home and overseas. We will get the democratic parties and persons without party affiliation in the CPPCC to fully play their role, and we will promote unity and cooperation among them. We will make full use of persons who represent ethnic or religious groups to consolidate and develop socialist ethnic relationships of equality, unity, mutual assistance and harmony and to make use of the positive role religions play in promoting social harmony. We will do a good job in the tasks of uniting and educating the newly emerging social strata, and encourage them to be patriotic, devoted to their work, trustworthy, law-abiding and selfless and to contribute to social vitality, unity and harmony. We will hold high the banner of patriotism, do a good job in developing the contacts of the CPPCC with our compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan as well as with overseas Chinese, strengthen our unity with all of them, and work together to preserve the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao, develop cross-Straits relations in the direction of peace and stability, and achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. 4. We will make full use of the CPPCC’s strengths to offer advice and support for developing socialist culture.We will adhere to the proper orientation for advanced socialist culture, uphold the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics, strongly promote a national spirit with patriotism at its core and a contemporary spirit with reform and innovation at its core, promote the establishment of a system of core socialist values, and truly make them the basis of consensus among all political parties and organizations and people from all ethnic groups and sectors of society in the CPPCC. We will establish the socialist concept of honor and disgrace, mainly consisting of the eight maxims, foster a courteous and ethical social environment, advocate a spirit of harmony, enhance people’s sense of integrity and social responsibility, and strengthen the ideological and ethical basis for social harmony. We will make use of the CPPCC’s advantage of pooling talented people from the fields of education, science and technology, culture, health and sports as well as other sectors of society to carry out consultation and discussion and offer suggestions, centering on how to increase China’s soft power, which consists mainly of culture, and how to promote Chinese culture across the world. We will organize the relevant subcommittees of the National Committee to do research and offer advice on how to accelerate development of science and technology, education, medical and health care, culture and sports.5. We will continue to strengthen foreign contacts and contribute to China’s diplomatic work and the building of a harmonious world.Following the principle of being proactive, reliable and pragmatic, we will carry out more extensive foreign contacts through more channels and by more flexible means, centering on the overall objectives of China’s diplomatic work. We will carry out mutual high-level visits and expand friendly exchanges and cooperation with a number of countries, institutions, international organizations and NGOs. We will do a good job holding the 10th International Meeting of the IAESCSI in Beijing this year. We will make full use of the unique role of the China Committee on Religion and Peace to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with foreign religious communities and play a positive role in safeguarding and promoting world peace.6. We will strengthen self-improvement and lay a solid foundation for improving the overall work of the CPPCC.In accordance with the requirements of the Guidelines of the Central Committee we will improve the CPPCC in conjunction with the work of electing the next National Committee. We will strengthen cooperation among the democratic parties and persons without party affiliation in the CPPCC, and actively support them in participating in consultation and discussion on major state principles and policies and in doing all the work involved in performing their duties. We will improve the quality of National Committee members. We will conscientiously arrange for them to study Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, and the series of important strategic thinking put forward by the Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as its General Secretary since the convocation of the Sixteenth National Congress; the line, principles and policies of the Party; laws, regulations and the CPPCC Charter; and the theories of the united front and the CPPCC. We will help raise their sense of responsibility, integrity and respect for law, and complete the task of the National Committee of getting all its members to attend a group study session during their term. We will improve our work of classifying National Committee members, study and rationally set up a system of classification in light of the realities of reform, opening up and economic and social development, and gradually establish a sound mechanism that gives full play to the inclusiveness of the CPPCC. We will improve the organs of the National Committee, further strengthen the ranks of CPPCC cadres and improve the work style of its leading cadres in accordance with Comrade Hu Jintao’s requirement for comprehensively improving the work style of leading cadres in the new circumstances, in order to ensure that CPPCC bodies run in a coordinated, unified, standardized, orderly, flexible and efficient way.Fellow Members,We live in a great time, one in which we have great hopes and can accomplish much. We stand at a new historical starting point, where our great motherland is becoming prosperous and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has opened a brighter future for us. In this situation the CPPCC bears a glorious but difficult historical mission. Let us unite closely around the Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary, hold high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, fully implement the Scientific Outlook on Development, work hard together, break new ground with a pioneering spirit, and make greater contributions to building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and initiating a new phase of socialism with Chinese characteristics.