China's top political advisory body starts annual session

China is embracing its annual political high season as its top political advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, convened this year's plenary session earlier on Friday.

Speaking to more than 2,000 political advisers, Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, vowed to help the government and party organs maintain sound economic development and social stability.

As CRI's Liu Mohan reports, the top adviser also called on the CPPCC members to improve their capabilities for exercising democratic oversight.

Reviewing the work carried out over the past year, Yu Zhengsheng said the CPPCC had performed its duties well. 

"We carried out in-depth research and studies, achieved fruitful results in consultation and deliberation of state affairs, increased the effectiveness of democratic oversight and fostered unity and friendship with a greater reach than before."

According to the chairman, the CPPCC, amid the national move to build a moderately prosperous society, attached great importance to the most pressing and difficult issues.

Among the problems were poverty reduction in rural areas, industrial transformation and upgrading in Northeast China, and cutting overcapacity and excess inventory.

Yu Zhengsheng said the advisory body also played an expected role in deleveraging, reducing production costs in the real economy and raising the awareness of environmental conservation.

He said the CPPCC also helped deepen reform of the medical and health care system and worked to promote ethnic unity and religious harmony.

The chairman also hailed the efforts made by the CPPCC for the adoption of an interpretation of Hong Kong's mini constitution, in connection with oath taking by local public officers. 

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the city's return to China.

Yu Zhengsheng said the mainland will continue its support for the special autonomous regions.

"We will remain committed to implementing the principle of "one country, two systems," under which the people of Hong Kong govern Hong Kong, the people of Macao govern Macao, and both regions enjoy a high degree of autonomy, and we will fully support the chief executives and governments of the two regions as they govern in accordance with the law."

Meanwhile, he also noted the CPPCC will continue to contribute to the development of Cross-straits relations based on the 1992 Consensus while opposing any separatist activities for the independence of Taiwan in any form.

As part of his speech, the chairman suggested CPPCC members should do more to ensure they can fully carry out their duties.

He gave priority to the self-improvement of the CPPCC, especially a better use of its mechanisms and methods for democratic oversight.

"It's important to identify problems through thorough research and studies and improve the ability of CPPCC committee members in that regard. We must exercise oversight by visiting lower-level organizations, developing a deep understanding of actual situations, and interacting with the public and work well to use examples and data as the support for carrying out democratic oversight."

During the speech, Yu Zhengsheng also called on political advisers to uphold the country's anti-graft move.

The organization, he said, had expelled 10 people from its national committee for serous discipline violations last year.

The opening of the political advisory body's meeting marks the start of the country's annual parliamentary season that will continue with the opening of the country's top legislature on Sunday.

For CRI, this is Liu Mohan.