Ye, Vice-Chairman of the Ninth National Committee of CPPCC, said they will make proper use of their strength to help implement the forthcoming Tenth Five-Year Plan and promote economic restructuring.

He told the opening of the 4th Plenary Session of the Ninth National Committee of the CPPCC that all the top advisory body members will help think of ways and policies to prepare for the country's entry into the World Trade Organization and better open up China's vast western region.

A total of 2097 members of the National Committee's 2266 members attended the opening of the grand session at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

As the nation's highest advisory body, CPPCC has played an important role in promoting China's unity and stability, expanding friendly contacts with compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, overseas Chinese, and with people of other countries.

Ye affirmed that the CPPCC will promote the exchanges across the Taiwan Straits and help group all the personnel advocating the reunification of the motherland.

A series of activities will be arranged this year to enhance ties with overseas Chinese and Taiwan compariots in a bid to promote the reunification of Taiwan with the motherland, he said.

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

Ye said that in the new year, the CPPCC members will improve ways in investigation and special survey trips, and widen channels to mirror the voice of the people and the communities.

At the opening, Vice-Chairman of Ninth National Committee of CPPCC Wan Guoquan said in another report 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.

"These proposals centered on important issues of the country's economic development and hot issues of people's concern," he said.

Before putting forward motions, CPPCC members have carried out a great number of investigations, which contribute greatly to China's modernization drive, Wan said.

The volume of information gathered by CPPCC members to be submitted to the CPC Central Committee increased by 10 per cent over the previous year, Wan said.

According to Ye Xuanping, nearly half of the members were organized in 50 groups to carry out investigations concerning implementation of the state's major policies and major issues of common concern.

The studies contribute important reference material for the CPC Central Committee in drafting the "Proposal for the Formulation of the Tenth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development", Ye said.

The Committee for Economic Affairs produced the "Proposals for Attaching Importance to Institutional Innovation in the Tenth Five-Year Plan" after investigations into ten issues, Ye said.

The Committee of Population, Resources and the Environment produced ten reports to the central government, analyzing the relationship between the country's water resources and sustainable development. They also focus on the project of diverting water from the south to the north and the transmission of power from the west to the east in the proposals submitted to the Central government. These issues are expected to be in the lime light of the National People's Conference (NPC), which is to be open next Monday.

Ye also noted that the CPPCC members have also offered strong support and valuable advice to the government for the implementation of the nation's strategy to develop the western region. After a great number of discussions and thorough investigations, the Standing Committee of the CPPCC submitted the central government a report entitled "Comments and Suggestions Concerning Implementation of the Strategy of the Development of the Western Region."

(China Daily 03/03/2001)