Yan Junqi was elected chairwoman of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD) in Beijing at the association's congress that concluded on Friday.

The week-long 10th National Congress of the CAPD passed a resolution and its constitution and elected a new central committee composed of 45 members.

Luo Fuhe, Feng Jicai, Pan Guiyu, Wang Zuoshu, He Min, Liu Xincheng, Cai Dafeng, Zhu Yongxin and Zhang Fan were elected vice chairpersons of the association's central committee.

Yan said this congress is a new starting point for the CAPD and the new CAPD Central Committee will carry on the fine traditions and fulfill its tasks as a democratic party.

She stressed the CAPD will study and implement the essence of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and will make due efforts in improving the multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC.

The CAPD was founded in Shanghai on Dec. 30, 1945. Its current 103,000 members are mainly senior and leading intellectuals in the fields of culture, education and publishing.

In recent years, the CAPD has made hundreds of suggestions on affairs in cultural, educational and publishing fields as well as on key issues concerning economic and social development, she said.

"Many of the suggestions have been valued and adopted by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council," she said.

She promised the CAPD will make more efforts to participate in and deliberate on state affairs such as key economic and social issues as well as those related to people's well-being.

Yan, born in August, 1946 in Wuxian County, Jiangsu Province, joined the CAPD in February 1998. Yan is currently a member of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

From 1962 to 1967, Yan studied at the School of Mechanical Engineering in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and got her bachelor's degree. From 1978 to 1981, she furthered her study at the same school and got her master's degree. From 1984 to 1986, she studied at the oceanic engineering school in the Technical University of Denmark and got her doctor's degree.

From 1981, she acted as a teacher in the SJTU. From May, 2001 to February, 2007, Yan acted as vice mayor of Shanghai Municipality. In December 2002, she was elected vice-chairwoman of the CAPD.

(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2007)