Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Ms. Chen. Let's give the floor to Ms. Zou for her introduction.

Zou Jiayi:

Thank you, Mr. Chen. Friends from the media, good morning. It's a great pleasure to brief you on the new practice and progress of the CPPCC since the 18th CPC National Congress.

Since the congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the development of the CPPCC's cause, and promoted innovation in theories, practice and institutions. In 2019, the Central Conference on the CPPCC's Work was convened, outlining a clearer direction for the development of the CPPCC's cause in the new era, and enabling the CPPCC to make new historic achievements.

First, we have implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts on strengthening and improving the CPPCC's work and promoted innovation in theories. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping, with the general picture of the Party's and the country's development, expounded on the roles, functions and responsibilities of the CPPCC as well as the requirements of its practice and the focus of its work, which is a development of the Party's theory on the CPPCC. For the first time, General Secretary Xi Jinping made it clear that the CPPCC is an institution specializing in socialist consultative democracy, a key component of China's state governance system, and an institutional arrangement with Chinese features, and that strengthening theoretical and political guidance and building broad consensus is a central part of the CPPCC's work. The CPPCC has thoroughly studied and implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thoughts, made great efforts to make ourselves an important front for upholding and strengthening the Party's leadership in all areas of work, a key platform for uniting, educating and guiding representatives from different sectors with the Party's new theories, and a vital channel for resolving differences and building consensus based on shared ideology and political foundations.

Second, we have effectively supported national governance and promoted innovation in the practices of the CPPCC as a specialized consultative body. The specialized consultative body is a new role of the CPPCC in the new era, and the 13th CPPCC National Committee has taken building in this regard as an overall, basic, and strategic project. Over the past decade, we have convened 18 special meetings of the Standing Committee, 20 special consultative meetings, 140 biweekly consultative symposiums, 16 online remote consultative meetings, and 51 expert consultative meetings centering on the country's most fundamental interests and the people's concerns, constantly innovating and improving consultation methods and platforms. The biweekly consultative symposium, launched by the 12th CPPCC National Committee, has greatly increased the frequency of consultation and enables timely and adequate consultation on some important issues. The remote consultative meeting and the expert consultative meeting, launched by the 13th CPPCC National Committee according to new situation and tasks, have further expanded the depth and breadth of consultation. The remote consultative meeting has extended consultation to companies, campuses, communities, villages, and so on by means of online video. I still remember once when we carried out consultation on the eco-environment protection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, we got to see the plateau directly and its eco-environment clearly via video. The expert consultative meeting has enabled small-scale prospective studies on some major and complex issues, at which some CPPCC members and experts are invited for in-depth discussions on a single issue, perhaps not once but several times, and provide insights for the Party and the government's decision-making through in-depth consultation. These forms of consultation have become important brands of the CPPCC National Committee in consultation and deliberation. At the same time, the CPPCC has leveraged its distinctive advantage of consultative oversight and exercised democratic oversight over the implementation of the CPC Central Committee's major decisions and plans.

Third, we have improved working systems and mechanisms and promoted institutional innovation of the CPPCC. In 2018, the First Session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee voted to adopt an amendment to the CPPCC's charter, establishing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding ideology of the CPPCC and the common ideological and political foundation for strengthening unity and motivating hard work. Over the past decade, the CPPCC National Committee has further implemented the regulations of the CPC on political consultation, the guidelines of the CPC Central Committee on strengthening and improving the work of the CPPCC in the new era, and the guidelines on pushing forward the CPPCC's consultative democracy and the guidelines on strengthening and improving the work of the CPPCC at municipal and county levels in the new era issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee; it has formulated over 100 working systems, such as consultation rules, and constructed an institutional system covering all aspects of the work of the CPPCC based on the CPPCC's charter and with the consultation systems as the backbone. Recently, we are conscientiously studying and implementing the regulations of the CPC on political consultation promulgated not long ago, further contributing to the system construction of the CPPCC.

Fourth, we have built consensus in an extensive and in-depth manner and strengthened the great unity of the Chinese people at home and abroad. The CPPCC National Committee has adhered to practices promoting democracy and unity, contributed advice to decision-making and efforts to consensus building, improved the working pattern for consensus building covering both within the Party and beyond and both CPPCC members and people in different sectors, promoting harmonious relations among political parties, ethnic groups, religions, social strata, and compatriots at home and abroad. We have focused on leading consensus on the basis of the common ideological and political foundation, carried out in-depth education in the history of the Party, and the history of China, including the PRC, reform and opening up, and the development of socialism, and carried out activities themed "carrying forward the great founding spirit of the Party for still greater glory" in light of actual conditions. We have focused on building consensus amid consultation, integrated consensus building into duty performance activities such as inspections, investigations, surveys, studies, and consultative meetings, and strengthened interactions and exchanges. We have paid attention to building consensus when educating ourselves, established systems of talks with members and a reading platform for all members, and organized themed inspections of members covering 34 sectors for three consecutive years. We have focused on communicating consensus among the public, and set up lecturer teams composed of CPPCC members and lecture platforms for them to publicize policies and answer relevant questions.

That's all I have for now. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Ms. Zou. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions.

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