Political advisors raise 30,000 proposals in 5 yrs

BEIJING - China's national political advisors have put forward nearly 30,000 proposals over the last five years, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee said Thursday.

A total of 28,930 proposals raised by committee members have helped improve government policies and perfect laws, said Sun Gan, vice director of the committee for handling proposals under the 11th CPPCC National Committee.

A number of proposals have been incorporated into government policies, such as those involving reducing vehicle exhaust, improving conservation of grassland and the rural environment, Sun said.

Some suggestions have played a major role in improving people's livelihood and social progress, said Sun, citing those about the reform of public hospitals, the national system of basic medicines and the highway toll-free policy during major holidays.

Some proposals helped push the legislature to adopt the mental health law, revise the personal income tax law and write drunk driving into Criminal Law.

The CPPCC serves as a key mechanism for multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and is a major manifestation of socialist democracy.

At present, the CPPCC consists of representatives of the CPC and non-Communist parties, personages without party affiliation, and representatives of people's organizations, ethnic minorities and various social strata. It also consists of compatriots of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and returned overseas Chinese.

Most of the CPPCC members are experienced political figures, celebrities, and experts and scholars specializing in various fields.

The main functions of the CPPCC are to conduct political consultation, exercise democratic supervision and participate in the discussion and the handling of state affairs.

The current CPPCC National Committee has about 2,000 members.