The Third Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) opens at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 3, 2010. [Xinhua]

The chairman of China's top political advisory body yesterday outlined five key strategies for the year ahead, encompassing both economic and social issues.

Jia Qinglin raised the issues while delivering his work report to members on the opening day of the Third Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

He pledged that the CPPCC would make more efforts in 2010 to:

Boost the nation's economic development;

Introduce initiatives to alleviate the income gap and improve people's well-being;

Maintain social harmony and stability;

Promote ethnic unity and religious harmony; and

Strengthen emotional ties between people across the Taiwan Straits.

"The CPPCC will carry out thorough investigations and studies on improving the institutions, mechanisms and policy orientation for accelerating the transformation of the pattern of economic development," Jia said.

He vowed that the CPPCC would give its full attention to factors affecting social stability that had their source in the excessive income gap and offer solutions and suggestions on adjusting national income distribution.

More than 2,000 CPPCC National Committee members will discuss major issues concerning the nation's development during the annual meeting scheduled to conclude on March 13.

Top Communist Party of China and state leaders, including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, attended at the opening session.

Jia said in his address that the CPPCC would continue to support economic and social development of ethnic minorities and their areas.

"The CPPCC will strive to achieve leapfrog development and lasting stability in Tibet and Tibetan ethnic areas in Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces," Jia said.

CPPCC National Committee Chairman Jia Qinglin delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the CPPCC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing March 3, 2010.[Xinhua]

He promised more would be done this year to increase cross-Taiwan Straits contacts.

"The CPPCC will carry out studies on cross-Straits economic, trade and cultural cooperation, deepen cross-Straits exchanges, and strengthen emotional ties between people across the Straits," he said.

A total of 5,820 proposals were filed by CPPCC National Committee members over the past year.

Most of them have already been dealt with, according to the CPPCC National Committee's Standing Committee.

"That indicates the role CPPCC plays in boosting social development is increasingly significant," said Chen Dezhan, a CPPCC member and director of the Science and Technology Department with Shandong Normal University.

Du Mei, a CPPCC member from north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, lauded the work report.

"I submitted a proposal last year that a museum on ethnic literature be established to promote the country's ethnic culture, and such a museum was soon established in Hohhot," Du said.