Performance requirements among proposals for improving CPPCC's role

As China is deeply involved in pioneering its overall reform endeavor, members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top advisory body, called for better mechanisms to improve the CPPCC's role in policy consultation and supervision.

About 2,200 members of the CPPCC National Committee from different sectors across the country have gathered in Beijing for their annual session.

While the CPPCC is a united front organization consisting of members from both Communist and non-Communist parties, ethnic groups and various social groups, most of its members are significant political figures, specialists, celebrities and scholars.

Although the CPPCC does not exercise any State power and serves purely as a consultative body, it has played major roles in consulting and supervising the government in its policy-making, and in offering suggestions and criticism regarding various State affairs.

But on the whole, because of the lack of performance requirements, especially as some members only gather in Beijing for the 10-day-long annual session every year, contacts among the CPPCC members are relatively loose, and some members lack a proper channel to keep informed and play their role.

Li Dongdong, a member of the CPPCC National Committee who also heads the China Media Culture Promotion Association, called for bringing the role of the CPPCC National Committee's special committees into full play.

The national committee has nine special committees devoted to specific sectors, including economics, science and foreign exchanges.

As those special committees boast a high level of expertise from intellectuals, their resources in certain sectors should be fully tapped to provide valuable proposals for reform, Li said.

Some advisers also called for an incentive and assessment mechanism to be set up to ensure the willingness and efficiency of the CPPCC members in performing their functions.

Zhu Ling, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily and a member of the CPPCC National Committee, said some strict requirements should be designated for the CPPCC special committees and the members.

Zhu noted that 2014 holds many tasks for advancing the country's development, as it is the first year for implementing the decision by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to comprehensively deepen reform, and is crucial for completing the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15).

"Instead of giving advice on scattered topics, there should be some specific tasks for the members and the subcommittees in light of the country's interest, as the CPPCC really plays an unalterable role in terms of its pool of top talents with expertise in many fields," Zhu said.

Zhu also said that, accordingly, there should be a strict assessment mechanism.

Li Dongdong suggested that the performance of the CPPCC members should be recorded and considered when the standing committee of the advisory body at different levels is nominating a new term of members.

wujiao@chinadaily.com.cn