The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top advisory body, are currently holding their annual sessions in Beijing. The following are excerpts from speeches delivered by NPC deputies and CPPCC members on current issues.

Chen Hong (NPC deputy): For protecting environment and saving energy resources, automakers have the responsibilities to control energy consumption of cars, develop alternative fuel and raise the standard of controlling exhaust pollution.

Meanwhile, the government should work out details and supplementary regulations of Laws of the People's Republic of China on Energy Conservation. A long- or medium-term plan of energy conservation, alternative fuel and exhaust discharge control should be set up to orient the auto industry's development.

Energy conservation and environment protection are the basic policies of the State. Energy security plays an important role in China's sustainable development and the country's security.

Currently, China's petroleum consumption ranks third in the world, energy consumption second. In 2003, about one-third of China's petroleum consumption depended on import and it is expected that in 2020 this figure will increase to one-half. Increased consumption of petroleum threatens the country's energy security and throws obstacles in the way of sustainable development.

With the upsurge of auto production and sales, fuel consumption by autos accounts for a big part of the total consumption - 33 percent in 2002, and an expected 39 percent by 2005.

Huge energy consumption also creates serious pollution. In some cities, auto exhaust release has become a major source of air pollution.

In developed countries, national strategies on energy resources were set up at the end of last century and strict standards on exhaust discharge have been established.

In China, although there is laws governing energy conservation, details and technical criteria are lacking, which makes it difficult for automakers to standardize production. In addition, low-quality fuel on the market also results in air pollution produced by autos.

In this way, the government and auto industry should make a joint effort to save energy and protect environment.

Zhu Qingshi (CPPCC member): Two problems should be tackled for better developing institutes of high education.

First, State-owned assets in share-holding enterprises run by institutes should be protected through legislation.

Since most of China's enterprises are plagued by a weak capacity for research and development, this is an important way to develop the country's high-tech sector through operating share-holding enterprises by institutes of higher education. Now such enterprises have witnessed a sound beginning, but the State-owned assets lack legal protection during the set up of share-holding enterprises.

Second, the system of selecting leadership in institutes of higher education should be reformed.

Appointing a president should be carried out under a good mechanism. Laws of higher education defines one of the responsibilities of university presidents is to suggest a candidate for vice-president. This has been a successful formula in topnotch foreign universities, but in China it is not practiced well. The personnel system of institutes of higher education needs to be reformed.

Zhu Zhaoliang (CPPCC member): Food security should be stressed in China, including securities governing quantity, quality, economy and ecology.

The quality and quantity of cultivated land should be guaranteed. The examination and approval system of land use should be strict to ensure land resources are utilized in a proper and effective way. And high-quality land resources should be protected.

A research on quality of land resources needs to be carried out to get to know the country's current conditions of lands and predict its development. The research could also provide sources to policy-making in this field.

Farmers' enthusiasm for cultivating foods should be encouraged through preferential policies and subsidies.

Better production techniques should be promoted to improve food quality, and food production should be carried out in a non-polluted environment. Fertilizers, pesticides and mulch should be controlled strictly and used carefully. Reparation should be attended to polluted arable land to avoid having food planted in it.

A system of spreading technology should be set up to make sure science and technology play an effective role.

(China Daily March 8, 2004)