Li Ruihuan, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, announced the opening of the session at 15:00. Top Party and state leaders Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, Hu Jintao, Wei Jianxing and Li Lanqing were present.

In September 1949, the CPPCC was established as an organization to pursue multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). A CPPCC National Committee session is held once a year.

The current session is attended by 2,097 of the 2,266 members of the CPPCC National Committee who are going to hear, discuss and approve a report on the work of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee by Vice Chairman Ye Xuanping and a report on the handling of proposals put forward by CPPCC National Committee members since the last session; attend as observers the Fourth Session of the Ninth National People's Congress; elect new members of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee; and discuss and approve various resolutions.

In his report, Ye summed up the work of the CPPCC National Committee in the past year, stressing that the organization has made important contributions to the promotion of the current reform, opening up and modernization drive.

Ye's report focuses on a number of issues such as the development of China's underdeveloped western region, the promotion of national unity and social stability, relations with compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and overseas.

In a report on the handling of proposals raised by CPPCC members, Vice Chairman Wan Guoquan informed the session that a total of 3,733 proposals have been put forward by the members since the last session and so far 3,302 of them have been handled.

(People’ s Daily 03/03/2001)