The Third Session of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top advisory body, will be held from March 3 through March 12. CPPCC member Wu Jianmin, serving as spokesman for the session, appeared at a press conference on Wednesday to outline the days ahead.

The proposed agenda for the session was ratified by the Standing Committee of the 10th CPPCC at its meeting last weekend.

During the full session, members are scheduled to hear and discuss a report on the work of the Standing Committee of the 10th CPPCC National Committee and a report by the Standing Committee on the handling of motions since the last session. Later, they will vote on resolutions concerning these reports.

They are also scheduled to attend as nonvoting delegates the Third Session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC), and hear and discuss work reports presented by Premier Wen Jiabao and other departments.

They will listen to explanations of the draft anti-secession law and discuss it.

The opening and closing sessions, three conference speeches and a number of panel discussions and joint discussions among various groups will be open to journalists, Wu said.

Two press conferences are scheduled during the session, covering such topics as food safety and the construction of a conservation-conscious society.

Wu said that 1,264 of the CPPCC’s 2,295 National Committee members had arrived in Beijing as of noon Wednesday.

The CPPCC session this year is expected to focus on important national development issues, such as the building of a harmonious society, regulatory improvements, government support for agriculture and farmers, economic adjustments, income distribution and social security reform and reunification of the motherland.

Because the reading of two reports has been cut from the NPC schedule, CPPCC members will attend fewer NPC plenary sessions. This will provide them with an extra half-day to discuss the government report.

The members will attend the NPC meeting where the draft anti-secession law will be presented. Following the meeting, panel discussions will be held to consider and discuss the bill for half a day.

Profile of Wu Jianmin

Born on March 30, 1939, in Chongqing Municipality

Former spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and director of the ministry’s Information Department; Ambassador to the Netherlands; Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Other International Organizations in Switzerland; Ambassador to France

Currently serving as President, International Exhibitions Bureau; President, China Foreign Affairs University; Vice Director, CPPCC Foreign Affairs Committee

(China.org.cn March 2, 2005)