National advisory body prepares for annual session

  The presidium of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, met on Thursday to prepare for an upcoming annual session of the CPPCC National Committee. The meeting, presided over by CPPCC National Committee Chairman Yu Zhengsheng, adopted a draft report of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee and a draft report on proposals from political advisors since the CPPCC National Committee's previous annual session in March 2013. Both documents are to be submitted at the upcoming annual session. Yu called for a "simple and frugal" annual session and stressed "serious implementation" of an eight-point guideline, issued by the Communist Party of China leadership in December 2012, which urged CPC officials to resist pomp, ceremony, reduce bureaucratic visits and meetings and improve their work style. Participants at Thursday's meeting also deliberated and passed a draft name list of the annual session. The presidium also heard two reports respectively on the preparations of the annual session and a forthcoming meeting of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee. A decision to strip Liu Yingxia's membership of the CPPCC National Committee was adopted at Thursday's meeting. It was decided on Thursday that the upcoming annual session will reject pomp and extravagance in meeting arrangements, receptions, publicity and official car use. Dining standards will be "strict", the number of working staff will be reduced and commercial activities will be prohibited, according to a statement released by the presidium after Thursday's meeting.