REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE CHINESE PEOPLE’S POLITICAL CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE

REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE

OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    CCHINESE PEOPLE’S POLITICAL CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE

Delivered at the Second Session of the 14th

National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference

on March 4, 2024

Wang Huning

Fellow Members,

       On behalf of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), I present this report on our work for your deliberation.

I. Review of Our Work in 2023

       The year 2023 was the first year for fully implementing the guiding principles from the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Following the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core rallied and led the entire Party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in working hard, forging ahead, and overcoming both internal and external difficulties.

Last year, China made the following major achievements: deepening reform and opening up in all respects, securing a smooth transition in response to Covid-19, making solid progress in promoting high-quality development, achieving breakthroughs in scientific and technological innovation, bolstering the foundations for secure development, meeting people’s basic living needs with robust policies, accomplishing the main targets and tasks for economic and social development for the year 2023, maintaining overall social stability, and taking solid steps toward building China into a modern socialist country in all respects. These achievements have greatly increased the confidence of our people of all ethnic groups.

       Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the CPPCC National Committee and its Standing Committee followed the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; fully implemented the guiding principles from the 20th National Congress of the CPC and the second plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee; acquired a deep understanding of the decisive significance of establishing both Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; enhanced consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership; stayed confident in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and upheld both Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the CPC Central Committee’s authority and its centralized, unified leadership.

       Bearing in mind our commitment to the main themes of unity and democracy and the CPPCC’s nature and position, we planned and advanced work initiatives with the aim of serving the overall work of the CPC and the country. We upheld fundamental principles and worked together to break new ground. Building on the solid foundation laid by previous national committees, we secured new achievements in our work and made new contributions in service of the cause of the CPC and the country.

       To ensure a good start in the fulfillment of its functions, the 14th CPPCC National Committee has focused on delivering solid results in the following four areas.

       1. Upholding the CPC’s overall leadership over CPPCC work to ensure the correct political orientation

       Being keenly aware that the CPPCC is a political organization under the leadership of the CPC, we consciously worked to uphold the overall leadership of the CPC and the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee over all work of the CPPCC, and closely followed the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in thinking, political stance, and action.

We formulated a list of specific issues for which the leading CPC members’ group of the National Committee and the leading CPC members’ group of its general office should seek instructions from and submit reports to the CPC Central Committee, making sure the thorough implementation of the system of requesting instructions and submitting reports on major issues. Under the newly established top-of-the-agenda system, the leading Party members’ group of the National Committee and the Chairpersons Council convened 19 meetings to promptly communicate, study, and implement the contents of 182 of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s latest important speeches, directives, and instructions. We improved the systems, records, and inspections for implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s major directives and instructions and the CPC Central Committee’s decisions and plans. Moreover, we conducted follow-up inspections on the implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important comments on strengthening and improving CPPCC work and important documents issued by the CPC Central Committee following its 18th National Congress.

We studied major CPC Central Committee decisions and guidelines from important meetings such as the National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection, the Central Financial Work Conference, the Central Economic Work Conference, and the Central Conference on Foreign Affairs. On this basis, the CPPCC National Committee, its general office, and its special committees have formulated and implemented a total of 64 related work plans.

       2. Strengthening political training to enhance our political competence and our capability for performing duties

       We formulated training plans and measures for the studies of the 14th CPPCC National Committee members and the education of officials in the National Committee’s general office to promote theoretical and political development and enhance our ability to concentrate on central tasks and serve the overall interests of the country.

Various study sessions were held to study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important ideas on strengthening and improving CPPCC work. These sessions included seminars for new National Committee members, workshops for special committee directors, themed seminars, and training courses for officials of CPPCC committees at all levels, with attendance totaling 8,740. Members of the Chairpersons Council of the National Committee took the lead in attending these sessions and delivering lectures. Through these sessions, we have guided our members and officials in their efforts to apply the CPC’s new theories to enhance the CPPCC’s cohesion, forge its soul, and consolidate its foundations, and have helped them better fulfill their duties and responsibilities by improving their capacity for political judgment, understanding, and implementation.

       3. Improving our working systems to lay a solid foundation for the performance of duties

       We have fully implemented the important requirements on improving the systems, standards, and procedures of CPPCC work set forth by General Secretary Xi Jinping in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress. A total of 87 systems have been established or modified for initiatives relating to study and training, investigations and inspections, consultations and deliberations, discussions and communications, media and publicity, members’ reading program, and the improvement of the general office of the National Committee.

To achieve strict enforcement of all regulations, we reviewed and compiled 57 sets of regulations concerning the National Committee and 171 concerning its general office. Special inspections were conducted on the implementation of major institutional initiatives to identify and rectify pointless formalities and bureaucratism. The National Committee’s general office developed supporting systems to ensure that responsibilities are fulfilled as required by specific duties and performance is delivered in accordance with rules and procedures.

       4. Pursuing a problem-oriented approach to improve the quality of research and deliberations

       According to the role and characteristics of CPPCC work, we standardized and improved all procedures concerning consultation and deliberation work. Continued efforts were made to ensure that our members stayed engaged with the people, took a realistic and pragmatic approach, pursued all-around and in-depth study, were adept at identifying deep-seated problems, and proposed practical and effective solutions.

Following the principle that research must be conducted before consultations begin, we responded to the CPC Central Committee’s call to engage in extensive research and fact-finding activities and formulated relevant guidelines to strengthen and improve this work. We initially developed a system for research dedicated to specific issues that is led by members of the Chairpersons Council and involves cooperation between special committees. We conducted follow-up research on deep-seated issues that were the subjects of consultations and deliberations, applying a research-consultation-research approach to make our consultations more thorough and effective. We improved the preparations and organizational efforts for major consultations to ensure participating members had a higher degree of expertise and were more representative, and to create conditions for them to grasp the relevant circumstances and policies. Such efforts promoted in-depth consultations and interactions and advanced consensus building. Out of the 1,755 topics suggested, 21 were chosen as major consultation topics. Focusing on the country’s central tasks and people’s expectations, we thus conducted consultations and deliberations and made proposals on state affairs.

       In performing its duties over the past year, the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee carried out the following major tasks.

       1. Launching a campaign for the study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to consolidate the shared theoretical and political foundation for our concerted endeavors

        Viewing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the overarching philosophy guiding CPPCC work, we have made this thought our subject of study, mode of thinking, and guide to action, ensuring full integration between what we know, believe, and do. This has facilitated greater unity in the thinking and action of all political parties, people’s organizations, and public figures from all ethnic groups and sectors of society in the CPPCC.

We coordinated educational activities for the leading Party members’ groups of the National Committee and its general office, and the CPC branch groups of special committees. In line with the general requirements to study Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to enhance our Party spirit and apply it in practice to make new contributions, we have focused on fostering ideals and convictions, growing in wisdom, improving conduct, and using it to guide our practice.

To acquire a deeper understanding of Selected Readings from the Works of Xi Jinping, A Compilation on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, we convened five study sessions for the theoretical study group of the leading Party members’ group of the National Committee, two dedicated reading workshops, four collective study sessions for the Chairpersons Council, and three study and reporting sessions for the Standing Committee. We incorporated the initiatives to study and explain General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important statements and the CPC Central Committee’s major decisions and plans into every dimension of our consultations and deliberations, thereby making our proposals more targeted and our theoretical guidance more effective.

Study groups for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era convened 35 sessions for members from 34 different social sectors, with a total attendance of 619. We formulated methods for the reading program for National Committee members and established 12 reading groups, which focused on the study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and other subject matters.

Guidelines on strengthening and improving theoretical studies were issued to guide members in targeting their studies and fulfillment of duties at major theoretical and practical issues, with the aim of deepening their understanding through these studies. We supported the China CPPCC Theory Research Association in holding a seminar on giving full play to the role of the CPPCC in advancing whole-process people’s democracy. We also launched a column titled Theoretical Study in the official newspaper of the National Committee to publish articles by members of the National Committee’s leading Party members’ group, secretaries of the CPC branch groups of special committees, leading members of local CPPCC committees, and other CPPCC members. Last year, a total of 516 articles were published in this column.

The study and research of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era enabled CPPCC members and officials to gain a deeper appreciation of the power of its truth and its tremendous strength in practice. Combining learning with self-examination, correction, and self-improvement, we were able to implement 69 measures to resolve problems identified in meetings for criticism and self-criticism convened by the National Committee’s leading Party members’ group. These measures were formulated based on opinions solicited from leading members of previous national committees, leading members of special committees, members of the National Committee and officials of its general office, and all provincial and sub-provincial CPPCC committees.

2.    Carrying out consultations and deliberations on the major plans made at the 20th CPC National Congress to serve the central tasks of the CPC and the country

In the meticulous execution of the annual consultation plan approved by the CPC Central Committee, we hosted 94 consultation sessions in various forms, including subject-specific meetings of the Standing Committee, special consultative meetings, biweekly consultative forums, online consultations, proposal handling consultations, sector-specific consultations, consultative meetings with relevant departments, expert consultations, and briefings on major issues of public concern. These sessions registered an attendance of 5,087, with the number of speeches totaling 1,602.

We convened consultative meetings of the Standing Committee on fostering a new pattern of development to promote Chinese modernization and on improving the sci-tech innovation system to accelerate the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy. Therefore, a series of surveys and consultations were conducted on topics such as developing a modern industrial system, bolstering the resilience and security of industrial and supply chains, improving the new system for mobilizing resources nationwide to make key technological breakthroughs, and promoting science literacy among the public. Through such meetings and consultations, we offered targeted and practicable opinions and suggestions.

Moreover, we carried out a series of surveys on optimizing the business environment for private companies, convened special consultative meetings on advancing new urbanization and promoting the sound and stable development of the property market, held four seminars to assess the macroeconomic landscape, and organized a series of activities to hear CPPCC members’ opinions on economy, helping bolster confidence in development.

The Standing Committee convened a consultative meeting on strengthening environmental protection to advance the Beautiful China Initiative. Giving full play to the role of the newly added environment and resources group, we initiated in-depth consultations on topics such as advancing the battle against pollution, accelerating the transition to green and low-carbon development, promoting the overall development of the Yangtze Economic Belt, enhancing ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, promoting the development of the nature reserve system through legal means, and strengthening the comprehensive prevention and treatment of desertification. Studies were also carried out on issues such as the treatment of new pollutants, the recycling of renewable resources in the new energy industry, mechanisms for realizing the market value of ecosystem goods and services, and the advancement of the construction of a national water network.

We convened a special consultative meeting on extending the reach and appeal of Chinese civilization. We conducted research and offered suggestions on a variety of issues such as preserving and carrying forward fine traditional Chinese culture, building an all-media communication system, developing the digital culture industry, and integrating culture and tourism, with a view to contributing to the building of China’s cultural strength.

Participation in consultation was broadened. The number of speakers at the subject-specific meetings of the Standing Committee increased, and more CPPCC members attended biweekly consultative forums in a nonvoting capacity. We strengthened coordination and communication with local CPPCC committees and held consultations with them on relevant issues.

We formulated guidelines on strengthening and improving democratic oversight and gave full play to the strengths of consultative oversight. We continued to carry out democratic oversight on 10 major issues in the implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan, for which total participation reached 92.  We recommended 21 members of the National Committee to serve as special supervisors at the National Commission of Supervision, 30 members as special inspectors at the Supreme People’s Court, and 10 members as inspectors for Party conduct, political integrity, and work ethics at the Ministry of Public Security.

3.    Acting on the people-centered development philosophy to help ensure and improve people’s wellbeing

       Committed to fulfilling our duties for the benefit of the people, we helped our members deliver for the public by grounding their work in local conditions. We convened a special consultative meeting on coordinating integrated urban-rural development and promoting rural revitalization across the board. We carried out in-depth research into a range of issues such as developing high-standard farmland, promoting fuller, higher-quality employment, forestalling any large-scale relapse into poverty, providing quality education that meets the people’s expectations, building a modern vocational education system, enhancing the skills of industrial workers for innovation, ensuring high-quality medical resources are more broadly available and distributed in a more balanced manner among regions, advancing coordinated development of elderly care programs and the elderly care industry, and modernizing social governance in cities. We conducted consultations on topics such as improving the teaching and research system in primary and secondary schools, accelerating renovations to create convenience for seniors, and improving supporting policies on childbirth.

To ensure that our members fulfill their duties, we launched a new initiative under the theme “Better Services for the People.” We also started the committee member science lecture program and science popularization tours. A total of 44 science lectures and rule of law awareness-raising tours were organized for teenagers and the general public. We encouraged CPPCC members’ enterprises to visit colleges and offer more jobs to graduates, and arranged outreach activities with local communities for members from the medical and health care, sports, culture, and technology sectors. In total, our members launched 2,480 programs to support education through donations, assist people with disabilities and vulnerable groups, and provide skills training, legal aid, and project-based assistance. Through these endeavors, we helped our members fulfill their responsibilities and deliver on their commitment to serving the people.

4.    Taking solid measures in regular work to perform our duties more effectively

We planned research tours in a more rational manner, streamlined research teams, and avoided having every team rush to one and the same place for research purposes, so as to reduce the burden on local governments. A total of 138 research projects were organized in various forms, including topic-specific research tours by members of the National Committee’s leading Party members’ group, special research by members of the Chairpersons Council, and research tours, inspections, and field visits by special committees of the National Committee. The National Committee organized 17 inspection delegations, registering a total member attendance of 202, as well as 81 research projects, for which total participation exceeded 600. A new publication titled CPPCC Research was launched.

The rules on proposal work were revised to improve work quality in regard to proposal submissions, accepting and filing, oversight, and evaluation. Last year, 5,621 proposals were submitted, and 4,791 of them were accepted and filed, with 99.9 percent of accepted proposals receiving a formal response or reply. A total of 1,982 members participated in proposal work, 1,811 of whom submitted proposals as the leading author. We also compiled and published a collection entitled Summaries of Major Proposals along with special reports. A total of 72 major proposals were selected to be handled under oversight, 31 of which were put under the oversight of 22 members of the Chairpersons Council.

We formulated guidelines on strengthening and improving the work related to communicating social conditions and public sentiment, received 43,995 communications from different sectors of society, 6,010 of which were adopted. A total of 1,154 members submitted 7,421 communications, 1,715 of which were adopted. For a single member, the largest number of communications submitted was 93, and the largest number of communications adopted was 23. A total of 1,063 news bulletins were compiled and submitted, of which 594 were submitted to the CPC Central Committee, the State Council, and relevant departments, while 233 bulletins were compiled on proposals, conference speeches, discussion materials, and research, inspection, and consultation results. Various suggestions on state affairs received 578 comments from the leadership and 76 feedback reports, providing important references for relevant departments when formulating policies and introducing measures.

The official newspaper and magazine of the CPPCC ran 680 articles on major consultations, and 2,278 on members’ duty performance. A special section was launched in the CPPCC Daily to introduce experience and practices of local CPPCC committees, with a total of 278 articles published. We made improvements to our work on selecting and organizing conference speeches to ensure they have a higher level of representation and greater appeal. In total, 901 conference speeches were collected for distribution, and 65 members delivered speeches. The People’s Daily and the official newspaper and magazine of the CPPCC National Committee published 818 pieces on members’ speeches at events such as Standing Committee meetings and biweekly consultative forums.

We formulated guidelines on improving the system and mechanism for our members to stay in touch with people from the sectors they represent. National Committee members organized a total of 6,806 events to engage with people from various sectors. We formulated the Plan for Coordinating the Theme Selection for the Literature and Historical Materials of the 14th CPPCC National Committee and its related policies for collection and compilation.

We held a forum on the work of National Committee’s general office and 11 forums for the officials of National Committee’s general office, during which in-person discussions were held with 324 officials from 19 departments. While ensuring the correct approach in appointing officials, we also stepped up education and rectification initiatives for our ranks of officials. We required 808 officials who are CPC members from the National Committee’s general office to examine, identify, report on, and rectify their own problems. We established an inspection organ under the leading CPC members’ group of the National Committee, formulated measures and a five-year plan for dedicated inspection, and launched a full-coverage inspection of 10 special committees’ CPC branch groups. We provided support to the discipline inspection and supervision team dispatched to National Committee’s general office by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision in performing its duties. New progress was made in building the National Committee’s general office into a model of excellence. Seven rounds of checks and rectifications against hidden hazards were organized to ensure the safety of the general office.

5. Giving full play to the role of the CPPCC as a united front organization to promote harmony in relations between political parties, between ethnic groups, between religions, between social strata, and between compatriots at home and abroad

We made it our central task to strengthen theoretical and political guidance and build broad consensus, remained committed to striking a right balance between commonality and diversity, and strived to expand common ground and achieve the greatest possible convergence of interests. We leveraged the role of the CPPCC as an important political and organizational form for applying a new type of political party system. Relevant special committees of the National Committee conducted five research tours and nine consultation sessions in conjunction with the central committees of democratic parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. The democratic parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages without party affiliation submitted 563 proposals and delivered 144 speeches.

We established an agency for maintaining contact with National Committee members. Members of the National Committee’s leading Party members’ group held one-on-one open discussions with non-CPC members of the National Committee, with an attendance of 403, to talk over matters, exchange ideas, and build consensus. Many important opinions arising from these discussions were later adopted by relevant departments. We organized 11 topic-specific inspection tours for non-CPC members and took steps to refine the system and mechanism for enabling CPC members on the National Committee to connect with non-CPC members, seeing 828 such CPC members get in touch with 1,157 non-CPC members. In performing our duties, we prioritized maintaining close communication and deep friendship with intellectuals who are not CPC members and people from the non-public sector and new social groups.

We studied and implemented the CPC’s strategies for governing Xizang and Xinjiang in the new era. To facilitate the process of further adapting Tibetan Buddhism and Islam in Xinjiang to the Chinese context, we organized 10 research and inspection tours to Xizang Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and prefectures and counties with large Tibetan populations in Sichuan province. We conducted in-depth research on topics such as improving work in explaining and raising public awareness of the history of interactions, exchanges, and integration among ethnic groups, and fostering a stronger sense of community for the Chinese nation in higher education. We held forums for National Committee members from ethnic minorities and religious groups to communicate social conditions and public sentiment. We also organized a series of activities under the theme of “CPPCC members promoting interactions, exchanges, and integration among ethnic groups.”

We initiated research on helping young people from Hong Kong and Macao embrace greater opportunities created by the country’s overall development, organized inspection tours on deepening exchanges and cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao, and improved the mechanism for engaging with CPPCC members from Hong Kong and Macao. We held consultations and offered suggestions on strengthening industrial cooperation and creating a common market across the Taiwan Strait. We hosted the sixth Strait Forum on Community-level Governance to advance integrated cross-Strait development. To rally the support, pool the wisdom, and leverage the strength of overseas Chinese, we hosted 367 overseas Chinese visits and held forums on promoting the extensive participation of overseas Chinese nationals in the Belt and Road Initiative.

6. Staying engaged in friendly exchanges with other countries to serve the overall diplomatic work of the CPC and the country

In line with the overall diplomatic agenda set by the CPC and the country, we took coordinated measures to carry out public diplomacy, people-to-people diplomacy, and think tank diplomacy, with a view to making our contribution to creating a favorable external environment. The National Committee and its affiliated organizations arranged 23 overseas visits, and conducted exchanges with more than 200 organizations in 50 countries. Over the past year, new contacts were established with 41 foreign think tanks and 12 foreign non-governmental organizations.

We hosted three “Experience CPPCC” events for representatives from international organizations, foreign diplomatic envoys, and visiting scholars of the Dongfang scholarship program. Last year, we conducted extensive exchanges with foreign figures from various walks of life, with attendance exceeding 2,100, including foreign visitors and participants in international conferences from 84 countries and 25 international organizations. With these efforts, we helped foreign people better understand Chinese modernization, China’s whole-process people’s democracy, and the CPPCC itself.

We established a Sino-African friendship group and conducted friendly exchanges with African countries. We supported the China Committee on Religion and Peace in holding the second International Seminar on Interfaith Exchanges and Shared Future for Mankind. We provided support and guidance for the China Economic and Social Council to successfully hold the 2023 China Economic and Social Forum with the theme of “Openness, Development, Civilization: Building a Human Community with a Shared Future.” We communicated to foreigners the outcomes of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. We encouraged our members to take an active part in telling China’s stories to a global audience to present a China that is credible, appealing, and respectable.

Fellow Members,

We owe our achievements over the past year to the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, to the sound guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, to the strong support of all sectors of society, and to the concerted efforts of the participating organizations of the CPPCC and all CPPCC members. For this, on behalf of the Standing Committee, I would like to express our sincere gratitude.

At the same time, we also know that there is still room for improvement in the CPPCC’s work. We need to make in-depth research, consultation, and deliberation more systematic. We need to adopt more innovative measures in consultative oversight. We need to leverage a wider range of activities and platforms to give full play to the principal role of our members, and there are still weak links in institutional implementation. Going forward, we will take solid steps to address these issues.

II. Major Tasks for 2024

       This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of both the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and it is also a crucial year for fulfilling the targets and tasks in the 14th Five-Year Plan. The CPPCC must follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; acquire a thorough understanding of the decisive significance of establishing both Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; enhance consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership; increase confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and uphold both Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the CPC Central Committee’s authority and its centralized, unified leadership.

We must fully implement the guidelines of the 20th CPC National Congress and the second plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, uphold the CPC’s leadership, the united front, and consultative democracy as an indivisible whole, and fulfill our duties and responsibilities with an emphasis on advancing Chinese modernization. We must improve our theoretical and political guidance, actively provide suggestions on state affairs, build broad consensus, and strengthen self-improvement, so as to pool the wisdom and strength needed to fulfill the targets and tasks for economic and social development for this year.

1.      We will uphold the CPC’s overall leadership over CPPCC work.

The commitment to the CPC’s leadership is an original mission of the CPPCC that can be traced back to its founding in 1949; it is the fundamental political principle followed by the CPPCC over the past 75 years, and a basic guarantee for advancing the CPPCC’s cause. Carrying on our fine traditions and keeping our political responsibilities firmly in mind, we will uphold the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and make sure we fully grasp the clear political nature of the CPPCC system and the CPPCC as an organization. We will see that CPC leadership is exercised over every dimension of the CPPCC’s work from consultations and deliberations to democratic oversight, research tours, consensus building, the fostering of unity and friendship, and self-improvement, and that the CPC’s propositions are turned into broad consensus and purposeful action of all social sectors, in an effort to ensure full implementation of the CPC’s decisions and plans by the CPPCC.

       2. We will continue to arm ourselves with the CPC’s new theory.

Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the guiding ideology that the Party and the country must adhere to in the long term. We will strive for constant progress in studying and applying this theory and make sure that we truly believe in it and genuinely apply it in practice. To this end, we will consolidate and build upon the outcomes of our educational campaign on the study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, with a focus on converting our achievements into a deeper theoretical understanding, firmer ideals and convictions, and more effective arrangements for advancing relevant work. We will hold reading programs and political and theoretical study sessions for our members on a regular basis, and help them to translate their achievements in study initiatives into a stronger ability to engage in political consultation, conduct democratic oversight, and participate in and deliberate on state affairs, as well as high standards in fulfilling their duties to promote high-quality development.

To strengthen theoretical studies, we will hold seminars and discussions with a focus on the well-conceived system and rich connotations of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the requirements for its application in practice. We will use our theoretical studies to boost our political abilities and deliver better performance in carrying out our duties. We will make good preparations for activities in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the CPPCC’s establishment, and guide all political parties, people’s organizations, and public figures from all ethnic groups and sectors of society in the CPPCC in gaining a profound understanding of the strengths of the socialist political system with Chinese characteristics, thereby securing ongoing progress for the cause of the CPPCC.

       3. We will contribute advice and strength to achieving the goals and tasks of Chinese modernization.

Leveraging the CPPCC’s role as a body dedicated to consultation, we will fulfill our duty to offer suggestions with a focus on the key decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the country’s vital strategic needs and major issues arising from development. We will put into effect the 2024 consultation plan of the CPPCC National Committee approved by the CPC Central Committee, reinforce the fundamental role of special committees and the principal role of our members, and better harness the advantage of our inclusiveness. We will engage in extensive research and fact-finding activities to gain fresh experience through practice, learn about people’s wishes and demands, as well as problems hindering the implementation of policies. On this basis, we will offer suggestions that are more forward-looking and targeted, see our deliberations and suggestions go into greater depth, raise the effectiveness of democratic oversight, fulfill the requirement to develop whole-process people’s democracy, better facilitate systematic and democratic decision-making, and promote the implementation of decisions and plans.

       4. We will achieve the greatest possible convergence of interests.

We will give full play to the role of the CPPCC as the most inclusive organization in the patriotic united front, and acquire a deep understanding of the features of and the laws governing the work related to the people under new circumstances. We will make sure initiatives to fortify unity and friendship and promote frank exchange of views deliver more tangible results. We will further the initiative to ensure National Committee members stay in close contact with people from the sectors they represent and fulfill their duties to serve the people, and assist the CPC and the central government in communicating policies to the public, resolving doubts and clearing up misunderstandings, pooling strength, and fostering unity. We will strengthen theoretical and political guidance, and be adept at inspiring people with the grand blueprint for Chinese modernization and the vivid practices of advancing this cause, so that we can keep building consensus and fostering unity, and see all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation unite even more closely. Giving play to the CPPCC’s role in international exchanges, we will keep more people around the world informed about the vision of building a human community with a shared future, tell China’s stories well, and make China’s voice heard.

Fellow Members,

       The task of accomplishing the CPPCC’s work on the journey ahead in the new era places new and higher demands on our political competence and duty performance. We must meet General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important requirements to thoroughly understand the CPPCC’s role, be adept at consultation and deliberation, abide by the rules and disciplinary regulations, and act with integrity. We must strengthen the ranks of National Committee members and its general office, making sure they enhance their political judgment, understanding, and implementation, focus on the actual circumstances, take concrete actions, and deliver real results.

We will implement the CPC Central Committee’s eight-point decision on improving conduct along with detailed rules for its implementation, overcome and rectify pointless formalities and bureaucratism, and demonstrate the enterprising spirit of our members. We will strengthen the building of CPPCC as a political body, advocating the pursuit of constant improvement and perfection in our work, refining rules and regulations, and making our work better planned, more systematic, targeted, and effective. On this basis, we will enhance the overall competence of the officials of the National Committee’s general office, and see that they provide better services. We will continue with the efforts to improve conduct, promote integrity, and combat corruption, and take swift and determined action to ensure every measure in this regard is implemented to the letter. Through these efforts, we will build the National Committee’s general office into a model of excellence that the CPC can trust and the people are satisfied with.

Fellow Members,

       Unity creates strength and hard work paves the way for great success. Let us rally more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, unite as one, and rely on our collective solutions and energies to open up a new phase for CPPCC work in the new era. Let us continue striving to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects and advance national rejuvenation on all fronts.