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E-mail China.org.cn, March 18, 2013
REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE
OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE’S
POLITICAL CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE (CPPCC)
Delivered at the First Session of
the Twelfth CPPCC National Committee on March 3, 2013
Jia Qinglin
Contents
I. Review of the Work in the Past Five Years
II. Main Experience in the Past Five Years
III. Suggestions on the Next Five Years’ Work
Fellow Members,
On behalf of the Standing Committee of the Eleventh CPPCC National Committee, I now submit a report on its work over the past five years and offer my suggestions on the work of the Twelfth CPPCC National Committee for your deliberation.
I. Review of the Work in the Past Five Years
Over the past five years, China overcame severe challenges and made extraordinary achievements in reform, opening up and socialist modernization, and the CPPCC carried on, made innovations in, and consolidated and developed its cause. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) attached great importance to the CPPCC, and under its firm leadership the CPPCC held high the banners of patriotism and socialism; adhered to the themes of unity and democracy; focused on the central work of the Party and country; conscientiously performed its functions of political consultation, democratic oversight, and participation in the deliberation and administration of state affairs; fully played its role in coordinating relations, pooling strengths, making suggestions and proposals to the central leadership, and serving the overall interests of the country; and made important contributions to developing in a scientific way, maintaining harmony and stability, promoting China’s reunification and expanding foreign exchanges, thereby writing a new chapter in its history.
1. Consolidating the common ideological and political foundation and adhering to the socialist path of political development with Chinese characteristics
Strengthening ideological and theoretical development is a fundamental guarantee that the CPPCC adheres to the correct political orientation. We gave top priority to solidifying our ideological foundation. We studied the guiding principles of the CPC’s Seventeenth and Eighteenth National Congresses and Comrade Hu Jintao’s important speeches at the meetings celebrating the 90th anniversary of the founding of the CPC and the 60th anniversary of the founding of the CPPCC. We also studied the Guidelines of the CPC Central Committee on Strengthening the Work of the CPPCC, and the report on its implementation. We carried out activities to study and apply the Scientific Outlook on Development and observe core socialist values. We actively guided members of CPPCC committees to thoroughly understand the superiority of the socialist political system and the system of political parties with Chinese characteristics in light of the Party and government’s experiences in accomplishing major tasks, celebrating joyous occasions and overcoming difficulties. This helped us adhere to the leadership of the CPC and the socialist path of political development with Chinese characteristics more consciously and resolutely. Over the past five years, we held 12 study sessions for the Standing Committee, 11 study and report sessions for National Committee members living in Beijing, and 37 workshops for National Committee members and training sessions for officials of CPPCC committees.
We made solid progress in developing the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC and actively developed consultative democracy in the CPPCC. We improved existing means of consultation such as plenary sessions of the National Committee and meetings of the Standing Committee and the Chairperson’s Council, and made innovations in platforms for consultation on special issues and handling proposals, and with representatives from specific sectors of society and relevant government authorities. Over the past five years, we carried out over 420 consultative activities of all kinds. We reviewed and spread local CPPCC committees’ success in formulating rules for political consultation, chose topics for consultation scientifically, effectively standardized consultation procedures, and spurred the incorporation of research results into policy decisions of the central leadership, thereby improving consultation quality. We respected and ensured the democratic rights of the democratic parties and persons without party affiliation in the CPPCC; supported them in carrying out consultation and deliberation of the Party and country’s principles and policies; and carried out more joint investigations, studies and inspections with the democratic parties. The quality of the democratic parties’ proposals and reports on social conditions and popular sentiment steadily improved. The central committees of the democratic parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce submitted to the CPPCC National Committee a total of 1,347 proposals, 19,992 reports on social conditions and popular sentiment, and 310 speeches to be presented at meetings. The CPPCC better played its role as an important body of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC.
2. Making suggestions and proposals related to the Party and country’s central work, and promoting steady and rapid economic development
Over the past five years, China’s development faced both rare opportunities and extremely severe challenges such as the global financial crisis. We made spurring development in a scientific way our top priority in performing our functions. Always focusing on the central task of economic development, we held 11 special meetings of the Standing Committee and special consultative meetings, carried out 509 investigations, studies and inspections, and made a large number of high-quality comments and suggestions on comprehensive, strategic and futuristic issues pertaining to economic and social development. Concerning the formulation and implementation of the Twelfth Five-Year Plan, we proposed developing strategic emerging industries, carrying out urbanization and building a new countryside, and implementing a maritime strategy. These proposals were incorporated into the Twelfth Five-Year Plan and associated special plans. To resolve conflicts and problems arising from accelerating the change of the growth model, we proposed expanding domestic demand, keeping foreign demand stable, developing the real economy, becoming better able to pursue innovation-driven development, developing the modern service industry, and strengthening national defense, and we provided important reference information for making strategic structural adjustments to the economy. Our proposals for reforming the income distribution system, deepening reform of the system for managing science and technology, innovatively developing small and medium-sized financial institutions, and picking up the pace of “going global” played a positive role in deepening reform. We made suggestions and proposals on advancing the large-scale development of the western region, revitalizing the old industrial bases in northeast China, spurring the rise of the central region, and supporting the eastern region in taking the lead in development. We proposed elevating to the status of national development strategy regional development plans for turning Hainan into an international tourist island, and plans for developing the Western Taiwan Straits Economic Zone, the Central Plains Economic Zone, the economic zones in the former Central Soviet Area such as Gannan, the coastal economic belt in Liaoning Province, the Shandong Peninsula Blue Economic Zone, the Beibu Bay Economic Zone in Guangxi, and the international gateway to South Asia. We also proposed accelerating poverty alleviation and development in contiguous poor areas such as the Wuling Mountains and stimulating sound and rapid economic development in Guizhou. All these proposals promoted balanced development among regions. We closely followed, studied, and assessed international and domestic economic development trends, held meetings to analyze the macroeconomic situation and symposiums on special topics, and strengthened dynamic studies. All this provided useful reference information for the Party and government to strengthen and improve macro-control.
We made promoting ecological progress a high priority in performing our functions, and offered advice in this regard on the basis of investigations, studies, inspections, meetings and forums and by submitting proposals and providing information. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council highly valued and adopted our suggestions for setting a binding target for reducing total energy consumption during the Twelfth Five-Year Plan period, paying compensation for exploiting resources, developing experimental zones for integrated reform of resource-dependent areas undergoing economic transformation, comprehensively controlling urban air pollution, caring for our forests, deepening tenure reform in collective forests, and strengthening protection of the high-quality water resources in the sources of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang rivers and in Hengshui and Qiandao lakes.
3. Actively participating in social development and management, and giving impetus to cultural reform and development
Strengthening and making innovations in social management is a major strategy the CPC Central Committee adopted in response to the new situation and tasks, and it sets forth new requirements for the CPPCC. We held a consultative meeting on strengthening and making innovations in social management and proposed getting urban and rural communities to play their basic role in promoting social management, strengthening the social creditability system and the public security system, putting in place a sound system to ensure that people follow proper procedures in lodging complaints via letters or visits, and strengthening the ranks of legal professionals. These proposals provided important reference information for the Party and government to improve their social management policy. On the basis of investigations and studies on the most practical problems of the greatest and most direct concern to the people, we proposed promoting the balanced development of compulsory education, accelerating development of vocational education, integrating urban and rural employment systems, implementing a new old-age insurance for rural residents, improving the medical insurance system for the whole population, carrying out a trial reform of public hospitals, and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of rural migrant workers and their family members left behind in rural areas, the disabled, and employees of state-owned enterprises converted into stockholding companies. These proposals helped improve people’s wellbeing. We guided and supported members of CPPCC committees in willingly fulfilling their social responsibilities; providing relief for serious natural disasters and contributing to post-disaster recovery and reconstruction; and taking an active part in activities for the benefit of the people such as lifting people out of poverty by providing them with education and training, the Guangcai Program for promoting poverty alleviation and development, providing financial support for students, and bringing healthcare to and supporting education in poor rural areas. All this helped them project a good image as members of CPPCC committees. We carried out educational activities on ethnic solidarity and progress. We conducted investigations and studies on implementation of the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy; acceleration of the economic and social development of autonomous ethnic minority prefectures; the impact of industrialization and urbanization on pasture areas, animal husbandry and herdsmen; better protection of the fine traditional culture of ethnic minorities; and strengthening of ethnic work in cities. All this contributed to promoting economic development of ethnic minority areas and safeguarding their social stability. We made suggestions and proposals on strengthening and making innovations in social management of religious affairs, improving seminaries and training of religious personnel, and solving social security problems of clergy members. All this helped the Party and government do their work related to religion well in the new situation. We attached great importance to the role of National Committee members from ethnic minorities and religious circles, energetically publicized the achievements of ethnic minority areas, visited ethnic minority officials and ordinary people, and forged closer ties with ethnic minority people and religious believers.
In line with the CPC Central Committee’s major policy decision and arrangements to deepen reform of the cultural system and spur the great development and flourishing of socialist culture, we held a consultative meeting on deepening reform of the cultural system and promoting the flourishing and development of cultural programs and industries. We conducted investigations on theatre troupes and on how to successfully host the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing and the World Expo in Shanghai, implement the Regulations on the Nationwide Fitness Program, promote integrated cultural development in urban and rural areas, protect our intangible cultural heritage, preserve and pass on local dramatic arts, protect and develop traditional cultural industries like those on the Four Treasures of the Study – writing brush, ink stick, ink slab and paper, and encourage nongovernmental investment in cultural industries. Many suggestions and proposals resulting from these investigations and studies were incorporated into policy decisions by the Party and government. We encouraged the launching of major cultural projects to protect West Lake in Hangzhou, the Grand Canal and the Shudao Cultural Route; worked for their inclusion on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List and for protection of the Great Wall; and effectively gave impetus to protection and development of cultural resources. We organized the production of literary works, calligraphy works, paintings and theatrical performances; participated in the production of excellent movies and TV programs including The Founding of a Republic and The Revolution of 1911; and brought cultural activities to ordinary people. All this received a positive response from the general public. We completed the construction of the China CPPCC Hall of Culture and History and opened it to the public. We edited and published Selected Cultural and Historical Data and other books on culture and history totaling over 42 million Chinese characters, and got cultural and historical data to better play their social role in preserving history, providing advice to the government, and helping unite with and educate the people.
4. Deepening unity and friendship with our compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and with overseas Chinese, and strengthening the cohesiveness of the Chinese nation
Achieving the complete reunification of the motherland and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the concerted efforts of all of its sons and daughters. We strengthened contacts and exchanges with our compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and with overseas Chinese; commemorated the centenary of the Revolution of 1911; and consolidated and expanded the unity of all Chinese people at home and abroad. We kept National Committee members in Hong Kong and Macao well informed of China’s economic and social development. We organized follow-up investigations and studies on how to make better use of their positive role in promoting China’s economic and social development and maintaining long-term prosperity and stability in their respective regions. We created conditions for them to get acquainted with national conditions and state affairs and perform their functions and duties. We guided them to play an exemplary role in implementing and publicizing the principle of “one country, two systems.” We increased contacts and exchanges with political organizations, social groups and influential figures in Hong Kong and Macao. We supported National Committee members in the two regions in informing their young people of China’s national conditions and arranging for them to come to the mainland to learn about and experience it, in order to cultivate and expand forces in both regions that love both the motherland and their region. During the past five years, we hosted 66 delegations from Hong Kang and Macao with a total 2,687 members, sent 48 delegations to the two regions, and organized 14 inspection tours to the mainland for members from the two regions.
Firmly grasping the theme of peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, we further expanded our positive interaction with political parties, organizations, social groups, ordinary people and groups of young people in Taiwan; sent 20 delegations of National Committee members to visit Taiwan; and invited a Delegation of Representatives of Taiwan Public Opinion to visit the mainland. We made the CPPCC’s cultural exchanges with Taiwan broader, deeper and more institutionalized on the basis of Heluo culture, the Whampoa spirit, religion, traditional Chinese customs, and Chinese martial arts, calligraphy, painting, and opera. We carried out investigations and studies on how to stimulate development of Taiwan-funded small and medium-sized enterprises, promote cross-Straits agricultural cooperation and scientific and technological innovation, and safeguard the lawful rights and interests of our Taiwan compatriots, and offered suggestions and proposals for deepening cross-Straits economic and trade cooperation.
We strengthened unity and friendship with overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives. Over the past five years, we invited a total of 180 overseas Chinese from 43 countries to attend plenary sessions of the CPPCC National Committee in a nonvoting capacity, and arranged visits and inspections for them to see our country’s achievements in reform, opening up and modernization. We expanded our work related to overseas Chinese affairs in Africa; did our work related to ethnic minority overseas Chinese well; strengthened exchanges and cooperation with the young generation of overseas Chinese and people of Chinese origin overseas; and further won the hearts of overseas Chinese, pooled their wisdom and strength, and safeguarded their interests.
5. Energetically expanding friendly foreign relations and better serving the country’s overall diplomatic work
We obtained positive results in serving the country’s overall diplomatic strategy and expanding and deepening our friendly exchanges with relevant institutions in other countries and international organizations. We attached great importance to high-level foreign contacts; actively introduced China’s political system, system of political parties and modernization achievements to other countries; explained our country’s policies and stand on the Taiwan question and issues involving Tibet and Xinjiang in a way that addressed prominent concerns; and increased the international community’s understanding of our country and deepened mutual political trust between China and other countries. We held conferences on principles and discussion meetings on the international situation, and offered our advice to the central leadership on the European sovereign debt crisis, West Asia and North Africa for it to consider in its decision-making. Over the past five years, we sent 163 delegations abroad, hosted 61 visiting delegations, held 7 international conferences including the 21st Century Forum 2010, and conducted friendly exchanges with 253 institutions in 139 foreign countries and with 14 international or regional organizations.
We took spurring diplomacy as an important goal in increasing the CPPCC’s foreign exchanges. We conducted high-level dialogue with other countries in exchanges of visits, and engaged in in-depth communication with foreign participants at international conferences we held or attended. We made full use of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, the World Expo in Shanghai and international conferences on public diplomacy to deepen our friendly exchanges with relevant organizations, major think tanks, mainstream mass media, influential figures and ordinary people in foreign countries. We launched the Public Diplomacy Quarterly; supported local CPPCC committees in establishing public diplomacy associations; and intensified the CPPCC’s theoretical research on public diplomacy, put it into practice innovatively, and increased public awareness of it.
We supported relevant organizations in participating in international activities. The China Economic and Social Council participated in all the activities of the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions and established a sound mechanism for bilateral exchanges with its member organizations in Latin America and Africa. It successfully held nine sessions of the China-EU Round Table and helped establish a round table for the economic and social councils and similar institutions in BRICS countries. The China Committee on Religion and Peace actively expanded its friendly exchanges with foreign interfaith and peace organizations, participated in international conferences and symposiums of world religious and peace organizations, and hosted the 2010 annual meeting of the Asian Conference on Religion and Peace, thereby enhancing the influence of Chinese religious groups in international interfaith organizations.
6. Strengthening and improving our self-improvement efforts and raising the effectiveness and level of the CPPCC’s work
We strengthened our self-improvement efforts and did our routine work in the spirit of reform and innovation, achieving positive results. The General Office and special committees closely coordinated and cooperated with Party and government departments, political parties, people’s organizations and local CPPCC committees, so as to build synergy. We maintained close ties with the democratic parties and public figures without party affiliation and improved the work mechanism that supports them in fulfilling their duties and playing their role. We established sound mechanisms by which groups of National Committee members from the same sector of society have a leader and special committees maintain ties with specific sectors of society. This enabled us to actively conduct investigations and studies, make inspection tours, submit proposals, make speeches, report on social conditions and popular sentiment related to specific sectors of society, and develop unity and friendship with members of those sectors, thereby making better use of the advantage and impact of our exclusiveness. We strengthened training of National Committee members, improved services for them, strengthened routine management of them, and explored new ways for members, especially those residing outside Beijing, to perform their duties in the information age, so that they play an increasingly important role. We advanced development of the work system of special committees, strengthened coordination and cooperation between them, appointed deputy directors for them, and made greater use of their fundamental role. We held more training, research and discussion sessions pertaining to work for the staff of the CPPCC National Committee; strived to make its bodies more innovative, harmonious, service-oriented and keen on learning; and encouraged Party members to excel in their work. As a result, these bodies became better able to provide government affairs services and routine services, and their level of IT application improved substantially.
We strengthened development of CPPCC theory and strove to be innovative in our work. We established a three-tier theoretical research network at the national, provincial and municipal level; held seminars on CPPCC theoretic research and meetings of local CPPCC committees to exchange experiences; and attained important achievements in research on consultative democracy and significant results in developing socialist CPPCC theory with Chinese characteristics. We pooled the strengths of the democratic parties, special committees, local CPPCC committees, experts and scholars to strengthen joint investigations and studies on key topics and coordinate and cooperate with each other on important work and major activities. We implemented the guiding principles of the CPC Central Committee’s document on strengthening the handling of CPPCC proposals, revised the rules on submitting proposals, formulated measures for examining and processing proposals and on selecting key proposals and overseeing their handling, and handled 23,892 proposals in all. The quality of proposals steadily improved and our handling of them became increasingly effective. We gave greater prominence to the democratic oversight function of inspection tours; improved the mechanism for selecting topics, organizing tours, reaching conclusions and providing feedback; and involved more members in this process, which further invigorated our inspection work. We introduced rules on making speeches at plenary sessions of the National Committee and improved the mechanism for choosing topics for these speeches, selecting speeches to be delivered at plenary sessions, and incorporating research results into policy decisions of the central leadership, and this further improved the quality and social impact of the speeches made. We worked harder to report on social conditions and public sentiment, and basically created a new pattern of this work in which National Committee members, especially ones with party affiliation, play the main role in reporting on information with reliance on our inclusiveness, special committees and local CPPCC committees. We enhanced publicity on the Internet, publicity directed abroad and analysis of public opinion, and made the CPPCC’s information and publicity work more targeted and effective.
Fellow Members,
What we achieved over the past five years is attributable to the firm leadership and solicitude of the CPC Central Committee, the warm help and robust support of Party committees and governments at all levels and all sectors of society, and the collaboration and hard work of all the organizations participating in the CPPCC, CPPCC committees at all levels and their members. Here, on behalf of the Standing Committee, I would like to extend our sincere thanks.
Looking back on our work in the past five years, we should also be aware that there are some inadequacies in it. For example, the performance of our functions is not sufficiently standardized; there is still much room for improvement in building the institutions of political consultation; democratic oversight needs to be more effective; and we still have to make better use of the advantage and impact of our inclusiveness, further deepen investigations, studies and inspections, and raise the level of organizing and serving important meetings and other activities. We should conscientiously study these problems and resolve them in our future work.
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