Advancing political consultation to serve national rejuvenation: China Daily editorial

The system of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference should be upheld, and its work of political consultation, democratic oversight, and participation in State affairs improved. This message for the CPPCC came from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Friday, the eve of its 70th anniversary.

The CPPCC, whose national committee is China's top political advisory body, is a bridge between the people and the government, and a reliable consultant for decision-makers at the highest level. Originating from the national united front against Japanese aggression under the leadership of the CPC in the 1930s, the CPPCC is today indispensable to China's national development.

China's fast-paced economic development has only made the CPPCC more important. Take the 13th CPPCC National Committee for example. Its 2,158 members, experts from 34 major sections of society and classified into 10 special committees, carry out research in different fields, conduct in-depth studies, hold group discussions, and only then do they put forward proposals for public policies for the central government's consideration.

At its annual meeting in March, the 13th CPPCC National Committee submitted a total of 5,113 proposals, of which 1,121 were accepted as advice and suggestions by the central government. And many of those have led to new policies or changes in policies.

The CPPCC — which has local committees at county, city and provincial levels that function in a similar way to help local officials better serve the people — is not only a broad platform for multiparty cooperation, its original mission, but also helps build an inclusive atmosphere for consultative politics and institutional guarantee for people's democracy.

Its institutional arrangement, which has developed with the changing times, ensures that all proposals are based on thorough research and analyzed to verify their feasibility before they are submitted to the government.

The fact that the CPPCC is not averse to the idea of embracing new applications of information and communications technology shows its welcoming attitude toward modern technology and innovation. Which in turn has remarkably improved its efficiency, and made it more responsive to people's practical needs and governance problems.

The CPPCC should not only maintain the momentum of its good work, increase its interaction with the people and carry out self-reform, but more importantly, as Xi said, improve its work of political consultation, democratic oversight, and participation in State affairs, particularly in fields that are directly related to the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, so as to make concerted efforts together with the CPC and the Chinese people to realize national rejuvenation.

If the CPPCC succeeds in its tasks, it will better serve the people, which is its bounden duty.