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Jia Qinglin
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Busy session ends on happy note

Jia Qinglin
Ed Zhang

The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference closed its annual session in Beijing yesterday after endorsing the 12th five-year plan.

The nation's top advisory body holds its annual session every year alongside that of the national legislature, the National People's Congress, whose session closes tomorrow.

This year marks the first time the concept of 'the people's happiness' has been so prominent in the nation's top official documents.

A CPPCC motion adopted yesterday urges the government to provide citizens with a greater 'feeling of happiness' by making innovations in social management, stepping up the battle against corruption and by promoting social justice.

A total of 5,762 motions were proposed by CPPCC members this year, up 6 per cent on last year's session, according to a statement on the CPPCC website.

Most of the motions focused on areas related to the people's well-being, 'particularly income distribution, the housing market and social security', according to Liu Xiaobing, a senior staff member responsible for collecting motions.

Some 2,400 proposals dealt with the development of the economy and the economic growth pattern Beijing has planned for 2011-15.

Most comments left by mainland internet users on the official China Network Television Web window showing the CPPCC closing session also dwelt on economic issues.

Some comments were pointedly political, such as demands for a timetable for the introduction of a requirement and mechanism for officials to report their personal assets to the public.

Of the top advisory body's 2011 agenda, chairman Jia Qinglin said the CPPCC would commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Xinhai revolution, led by Dr Sun Yat-sen, which founded China's republican government in 1911.

On foreign relations, Jia said the CPPCC would seek to play an active part in public diplomacy, networking with semi-official and non-official contacts abroad.

While no official comment was made on the earthquake in Japan, some CPPCC members expressed personal reactions.

Gao Shu, dean of geography and oceanic sciences at Nanjing University, said China should learn from Japanese citizens' example in preparedness for the disaster. Chinese nationals were more likely to be affected by rumours and panic.

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