People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China (CPC), is to publish an editorial on Monday, to mark the opening of the First Session of the Eleventh National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Monday.

The paper calls the session "an important meeting in an important year" as China is implementing in full-scale the essence of the 17th CPC National Congress, which was held in last October, marking the 30th launching anniversary of the Reform and Opening-up Drive, and hosting the Beijing Olympic Games in August.

The conference is of great significance for further conglomerating the wisdom of the Chinese people, promoting a scientific development, and pushing forward the great cause of the socialism with China's own characteristics, it says.

In the editorial, the paper recalls what China has achieved during the past five years, under a complicated and ever-changing international environment and difficult and heavy tasks of reform and development, stressing that the whole Party and people of different ethnic groups have created a new situation for the socialism with China's own characteristics.

"Over the past five years, the CPPCC has upheld the banner of the patriotism and socialism and adhered to the leadership of CPC, " the editorial says, praising the political advisory body for having constantly marched on a correct direction.

The CPPCC has persisted in the two main themes of solidarity and democracy and constantly increased political participation by citizens, consolidate the country's political structure featuring the multiparty cooperation, promoted a democratic, united, lively, active, peaceful, stable and harmonious political situation, the editorial says, adding, "The CPPCC has insisted on making the promotion of development as its primary task."

It says that the past practice has proved that the CPPCC has had much to do, has done a lot, and is irreplaceable, in different periods, ranging from the establishment and consolidation of the democratic people's regime to the promotion of the Reform, Opening-up and Modernization Drive.

"This system has fully symbolized the political advantages of ours and it is a feature and merit of our country," it says.

The 17th Party Congress, which upholds the great banner of socialism with China's own characteristics and starts a new march for the Reform, Opening-up and Socialist Modernization Drive, has put forward new and higher demands for the work of the CPPCC and an even wider platform.

"People's Democracy is the vitality of socialism and the development of socialist democratic polity has always been the goal for the Party," it says.

In the editorial, the voice of the CPC Central Committee says that it is a strategic arrangement made by the 17th Party Congress to further deepen the political restructuring and develop socialist democratic polity, unswervingly.

The system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation is a major political and structural guarantee for the development of the Party's and the State's undertakings, the editorial says, stressing, "The more socialism develops, the more the CPPCC develops."

The political consultation of the CPPCC will become even more practical, its democratic supervision will be even more perfect, and its political participation and consultation will become more efficient, along with its own development being increasingly strengthened, according to the editorial.

"The better the CPPCC does in improving itself, the bigger is our progress in democracy," it says.

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2008)