China’s top political advisory body started its annual session Saturday afternoon in Beijing with the aim to propel the country towards a “great modern socialist country.”

The annual plenary session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top political advisory body, kicked off at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders attended the opening meeting at the Great Hall of the People.  Over two thousand members of China’s top advisory body have gathered in Beijing for the CPPCC. This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up.

The CPPCC is the Chinese people’s patriotic united front that is regarded as an important institution for multi-party co-operation and political consultations under the leadership of Communist Party of China (CPC). It promotes socialist democracy in China politics.

Yu Zhengsheng, Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, delivered a work report on major political, economic and social issues to 2,158 CPPCC members, of whom 60 percent belongs to non-communist parties, at the Hall of People. CPPCC’S works over the past five years were presented and suggestions provided for its future course in the opening ceremony where around 3000 national and international journalists were present.

Yu said that CPPCC fully implemented Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and upheld the theme of unity and democracy in its past year activities. “We remained committed to the correct political direction and upheld the centralised, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee with comrade Xi Jinping at its core,” said Yu, reading the work report.

Sharing the CPPCC’s experience of the past five years, Yu said that the top advisory body should strictly abide by the leadership of the CPC that advocates socialism with Chinese characteristics under its General Secretary Xi Jinping.

Stating that unity and democracy is the hallmark of CPPCC, the work report said ‘democracy is both the purpose and approach for CPPCC’.

Furthermore, the CPPCC work report presented suggestions on its future works which included applying  Xi’s vision of ‘Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era’. The conference also outlined that CPPCC would be made more capable of exerting its role as a major channel for consultative democracy and specialised consultative body.

CPPCC is not an organ of power nor a decision making centre of Chinese politics, but it is an important platform for all Chinese political parties, social organisations and people of all ethnic groups to work together in deliberations of state affairs in a democratic manner. There are 56 ehtnic groups in China represented in the CPPCC.

CPPCC does not exert political influence but imposes constraints on political power. It suggests and puts forth proposals for reforms, advances law-based governance, enhances people-centred approach to development, develop consultative democracy within CPPCC and strengthen democratic oversight in governance.

Spokesman for the CPPCC annual session, Wang Guoqing, said the advisory body will continue to provide advice in support of deepening reform through its role as a platform for consultation and deliberation of political affairs, according to a Xinhua report Saturday.

“CPPCC members have made recommendations for reform and opening up based on key tasks of policy, as well as greatest concerns of the Chinese people. The CPPCC plays an irreplaceable role in deepening reform and opening up. In the New Era, the CPPCC will closely unite around the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China with Comrade Xi Jinping as its core, and stay committed to redoubling efforts to make recommendations to deepen reform,” said Wang.

The reform of State-Owned Enterprises is high on the agenda of the central government and local authorities.

In a report on proposals, Wan Gang, vice chairperson of the 12th CPPCC National Committee, said over the past five years, a total of 29,378 proposals had been submitted by the CPPCC National Committee members, and 99 percent of them had been handled up to Feb. 20 this year.