The CPPCC is neither a state organ nor an ordinary citizen’s organization. It is a widely representative, patriotic united front organization of the Chinese people. It has a National Committee and local committees. The CPPCC National Committee is the nation’s top advisory body and meets in plenary session once a year. Before the state adopts important measures or makes decisions on major issues having a bearing on the national economy and the people’s livelihood, the CPC, as the party in power, consults with the CPPCC National Committee, which consists of representatives of the CPC, the non-Communist parties, democrats without party affiliation, people’s organizations, ethnic minorities and other social strata, compatriots from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, returned overseas Chinese, and specially invited individuals, in order to reach a common understanding. Once a year leaders of the CPC Central Committee invite leaders of the non-Communist parties and those representatives to meetings for consultation; forums are held every other month. When the CPPCC national and local committees are not in session, special activities for the committee members are organized, including inspection tours of various localities. This system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation led by the CPC is a basic political system in China. The 10th National Committee of the CPPCC met in Beijing on March 3-14, 2003, which saw a younger leadership representing a wide range of areas with the members coming from the CPC, central and local governments, non-Communist parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and other fields. The average age of the Standing Committee members was down 2.2 years to 61.9 years old. The eight non-Communist parties and personages without party affiliation that participate in and discuss political and government affairs, have 195 members on the Standing Committee of the 10th National Committee of the CPPCC, a figure higher than the previous term. The ethnic minorities have 37 representatives on the Standing Committee of the 10th National Committee of the CPPCC. The 10th CPPCC National Committee, re-elected in March 2003, has 2,238 members, among whom 299 are members of the Standing Committee, and the Chairman of the 10th CPPCC National Committee is Jia Qinglin.
