Individuals, invited by the National Committee or the standing committees of local committees, may also become members of the National Committee or local committees.

Units or individuals who have joined the CPPCC have the obligation to observe and implement the charter of the CPPCC. They have the freedom to withdraw from the CPPCC.

The relationship between the National Committee and local committees and between higher level committees and lower level committees is one of guidance.

Local committees have the obligation to observe and carry out national decisions adopted by the National Committee and lower level committees have the obligation to observe and carry out regional decisions adopted by the higher level committees.

The National Committee serves for a term of five years and holds a plenary session once every year.

The National Committee has a chairman, vice chairmen and secretary-general. Its Standing Committee presides over the work of the National Committee.

The Standing Committee is composed of the chairman, vice chairmen, secretary-general and members. Candidacy of members to the Standing Committee is proposed by political parties, mass organizations, and people representing various walks of life of the CPPCC, and elected by the plenary session of the National Committee. The chairman of the National Committee presides over the work of the Standing Committee and vice chairmen and secretary-general assist the chairman in his (her) work.

The meeting of the chairmen is composed of the chairman, vice chairmen and secretary-general and deals with the important aspects of the day-to-day work of the Standing Committee.

The National Committee has several vice secretaries-general to assist the secretary-general in his (her) work.

The National Committee operates a general affairs office which conducts its work under the leadership of the secretary-general. The CPPCC National Committee also sets up a number of special committees and other working organs in accordance with the actual need of its work. The special committees, under the leadership of the Standing Committee and the meeting of the chairmen, organize CPPCC members to engage in regular activities. Each special committee consists of a chairman, vice chairmen and members. The CPPCC National Committee has nine special committees: the proposals handling committee, the economic affairs committee, the population, resources and environment committee, the education, science, culture, health and sports committee, the social and legal affairs committee, ethnic and religious affairs committee, the cultural and historical data committee, the Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas Chinese liaison committee, and the foreign affairs committee. The People?s Political Consultation News, established in 1983 and published in six issues a week with a circulation of 200,000 copies each issue, is the organ newspaper of the CPPCC National Committee.

The CPPCC is actively engaged in exchanges with foreign countries for the purpose of strengthening the friendship with people in foreign countries. It has established friendly contacts with 105 national organizations in various countries and 4 international organizations.

Local committees of the CPPCC at various levels serve a term of five years. The way of organization, responsibilities and the setup of major working bodies of local committees and their standing committees are the same as the National Committee.

(China.org.cn May 20, 2003)