Quotes from CPPCC Members

Quotes on rural education from political adviser Li Yining

Following are some quotes from Li Yining, a political adviser and renowned Chinese economist, at the annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee on Saturday:

-- The unbalanced distribution of education resources is one of the major reasons behind the excessive income gap between the urban and rural areas.

-- Backward educational equipment and incompetent teaching staff at rural schools have hindered students from seeking further education, who would eventually end up doing simple manual work.

-- The government should increase the ratio of education expenditure in gross domestic product (GDP).

-- More vocational schools or colleges should be established to improve the competitiveness of rural high school or junior high school graduates in the labor market.

-- Measures should be taken to encourage farmers to start their own business, including providing technical trainings and financial support.

Quotes on addressing wage arrears for migrant workers from political adviser Qian Xueming

Following are some quotes on addressing wage delays for migrant workers from Qian Xueming, a political adviser from the China Democratic National Construction Association, at the annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee:

-- Measures should be taken resolutely to address wage arrears for migrant workers.

-- The monthly payment system should be strictly carried out.

-- A system of "wage delayed, projects suspended" should be implemented in the construction industry.

Quotes on social security from political adviser Ouyang Minggao

Following are some quotes on social security from Ouyang Minggao, a political adviser and vice chairman of China Democratic League, at the annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee on Saturday:

-- Social security plays a role in continuously dissolving economic and social crisis. We must unswervingly accelerate the development of China's own social security net and build a socialist welfare society with China's characteristics.

-- The development of China's social security net has just started and it's not the right time yet to worry about exorbitant welfare levels in the country.

-- By 2020, China should put in place a complete social security net and greatly narrow the current welfare gap between different groups to benefit every person.

Quotes on low-income housing projects from political adviser Zhang Qiong

Following are some quotes from Zhang Qiong, a political adviser, at the annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee on Saturday:

-- The government should bear more responsibility in promoting the development of low-income housing.

-- The central government should carry out different fund-raising policies in regions of different development levels. More fund from the central government should go to the central and western regions so that spending from local governments there can be lowered.

-- The government should encourage private capital to invest in low-income housing projects with preferential policies.

-- The government should collect property tax to increase its revenue and sustain government spending in low-income housing.

-- The government should ensure a sufficient supply of land for low-income housing and adopt a rational ratio of land use for low-income housing and commercial housing.

-- More resources should go to low-rent housing projects.

-- Legislation on low-income housing is necessary to reduce uncertainties in government policies.

Quotes on private business development from political adviser Deng Wei

Following are some quotes on private business development from Deng Wei, a political adviser and local deputy chief of an industrial and commercial federation from China's northeastern Heilongjiang Province, at the annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee:

-- China should offer strong support to the development of private enterprises, as it could help improve people's livelihood.

-- Increasing financial support to non-public economy should be taken into the evaluation system of local government officials.

-- The government should grasp the opportunity of fiscal system reform to introduce structural tax reduction to small and medium-sized enterprises.

-- More financial and credit support should go to private business, as well small and medium-sized enterprises, and measures should be taken to accelerate the construction of financial institutions that match the scale of these enterprises.

-- Supporting the sound development of private business and entrepreneurs should be established as a national strategy.

-- The government should help private enterprises, as well as small and medium-sized ones, to obtain high-quality resources, high-level talents and sales network from foreign markets through investment, stock swap, and merger and acquisition.

Quotes on air quality from political adviser Wang Yuqing

Following are some quotes on air quality from Wang Yuqing, a political adviser and former deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, at the annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee on Saturday:

-- We should take the revision of the Environmental Air Quality Standards as a good opportunity to draw up our own action plan to clean the air for our nation based on the actual conditions in our country and with reference to international practices.

-- When planning the medium- and long-term development of science and technology, we should give special attention to the prevention and control of air pollution, release new standards that are in line with international practice and start monitoring PM2.5 (particles smaller than 2.5 microns) and publish monitoring data in a timely manner.

-- We should push for a green transition of our economy by legislation on more stringent air quality standards.

-- We should make environmental information accessible for the public and encourage public participation in environmental policymaking and law enforcement by popularizing knowledge on environmental science.

Quotes on soil pollution from political advisor Zhou Yikai

Following are some quotes on soil pollution from Zhou Yikai, a political advisor and chairman of Hubei Provincial Committee of Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, at the annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee on Saturday:

-- China should treat the prevention and control of soil pollution more seriously and strive to achieve practical effects.

-- China is facing a grave situation in soil pollution with a number of outstanding problems, such as expanding acreage of arable land affected by pesticides and chemical fertilizers, severe pollution of heavy metals in some areas, and grave pollution at mine and factory sites.

-- We should speed up the legislation on the prevention and control of soil pollution.

-- We should establish a national information database of soil quality, register regional documents of soil pollution and launch regular monitoring and evaluation of the soil environment.