Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) members are asked to go to the masses, soliciting opinions on resolving their problems and grievances.
They are also urged to help the ruling Communist Party of China and the central government do a better job in governance.
Jia Qinglin, chairman of CPPCC, China's top political advisory body, told a packed conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Thursday that the members should always explore new routes of communicating with ordinary people, the low-end, particularly, trying to understand their needs, and "what really is on their minds".
Jia, who also sits at the ruling Communist Party of China's Central Committee Politburo Standing Committee, urged CPPCC members to help building up a stable and harmonious society in the country.
He made the remarks in his report to the opening of the annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, one of the two important meetings in the domestic political calendar. The other major meeting is the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), which starts Saturday.
"The CPPCC should be an important channel for people to tell us what they need, and on the other hand for the Party and the government to know people's needs."
More than 2,000 CPPCC members will discuss major issues concerning the nation's development during the session, which lasts until March 13.
Jia said in his report that China must focus on making macro-economic controls more "scientific and foresighted".
The government must properly balance maintaining steady and rapid economic development with restructuring the economy and managing inflation, Jia said.
Meanwhile, an editorial on the People's Daily on Thursday said that the CPPCC should fully carry out its functions of political consultation, democratic supervision and participation in the discussion and management of China's state affairs.
"The year of 2011 is to commence the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), and China has entered a crucial phase of building an affluent country. Facing profound, in-depth changes in both global issues and China's domestic affairs and facing a rare historical opportunity and a host of risks and challenges, China must grasp all the more the hard-won chance to develop itself",the editorial said.
Founded in 1949, the CPPCC consists of elite members of society who are willing to serve as a think tank for the government as well as legislative and judicial organs.
