The Tenth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, will start its fifth annual plenary session on March 3.

 

The date was agreed at the 16th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Tenth CPPCC National Committee, which was held in Beijing on Monday.

 

The meeting also proposed an agenda for the upcoming annual session, which includes hearing and deliberating the work report of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee and a report on the handling of proposals from CPPCC members during the year.

 

CPPCC members will also attend the fifth annual session of the tenth National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, as non-voting delegates. They will hear and discuss the work report of the central government, which is to be delivered at the NPC session.

 

The CPPCC consists of representatives of the Chinese Communist Party and non-Communist parties, people without party affiliation and representatives of people's organizations, ethnic minorities and all social strata.

 

It also represents people from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan, returned overseas Chinese and other specially invited people.

 

Known as the government's "think tank", the CPPCC committees at all levels contain large numbers of activists and public figures from various walks of life, experts and scholars in various fields.

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2007)