国内英语新闻:Political advisors offer suggestions on democracy, anti-corruption

BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese political advisors met Wednesday for their annual session to voice suggestions on the country's political development.

A total of 16 members of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) addressed a plenary meeting attended by top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng at the Great Hall of People in Beijing.

Their speeches covered a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from consultative democracy to anti-corruption.

Wu Zhiming, a top political advisor from eastern Chinese financial hub Shanghai said efforts must be made to strengthen the CPPCC's role in consultative democracy, by improving the political advisory body's annual work plan, its access to government documents, and exchanges among its members.

Zhu Weiqun, head of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee of the National Committee of the CPPCC, meanwhile, stressed that the religious circle should love the country, abide by the law, and support the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and socialism.

They should also do more to contribute to people's happiness and social harmony, and find in the religious doctrines contents that are conducive to national development, social stability, and moral elevation, he said.

A number of political advisors focused on anti-corruption.

Pointing to elaborate connections between corrupt government officials with crooked businessmen, Cai Ling from the China National Democratic Construction Association Central Committee called to improve the personnel selection and promotion and to establish an accountability system for officials.

Wang Changjiang from the Party School of the CPC Central Committee highlighted that responsibility should be matched with power, and called for more reforms in this regard in order to run the Party strictly.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Taiwan were also a focus at Wednesday's meeting.

Addressing fellow political advisors, Henry Cheng Kar-Shun, chairman of the New World Development Co. Ltd, said China could take advantage of its current momentum of comprehensively deepening reforms to further boost the Hong Kong economy.

He said the country should continue to include Hong Kong in its 13th Five Year Plan and make concrete planning for the cooperation between Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao, so that Hong Kong could contribute to deepening reforms while benefiting from the Chinese mainland's rapid development.

He also urged the HKSAR government to step up education of the region's Basic Law at primary and middle schools.

Wang Tiange, a political advisor with the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, meanwhile urged to step up exchanges between teenagers across the Taiwan Strait, so as to improve ties between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland.