Advisory body meeting ends with new appointments

The ninth meeting of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee ended on Saturday.

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, said at the closing meeting that the upcoming "two sessions" is an major occasion in Chinese politics, urging all advisory body members to perform their duties.

At the closing meeting, the draft schedule and agenda of the third session of the 12th CPPCC National Committee were approved.

The work report of the CPPCC National Committee and a report about the handling of proposals to be reviewed at the session were also approved in principle. The Standing Committee also decided the secretary general and deputy secretary generals of the session.

Zhang Qingli will be general secretary of the session, and another 19 people were appointed deputy secretary generals.

At Saturday's meeting, Lyu Hong, Li Bing, Li Congjun, Wu Xinxiong, Zhou Shengxian, Hou Shusen, Xie Zhenhua and Cai Wu were appointed members of the CPPCC National Committee.

And the Standing Commitee decided to remove Ling Jihua from the post of vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee. Ling, under investigation fo suspected corruption, was also stripped of his membership to the CPPCC National Committee.

The meeting also ratified the decisions made earlier to strip Zhu Mingguo and Ma Jian of their membership of the CPPCC National Committee, the former as he is also under investigation for suspected corruption, the latter on the grounds of his age. Endi