The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) held a symposium to review and analyze China's macro-economic situation in the first quarter of the year in Beijing on April 18.

CPPCC National Committee vice-chairmen Zhang Qingli, Gu Shengzu and Gao Yunlong attended the meeting, chaired by Shang Fulin, chairman of the Committee on Economic Affairs of the CPPCC National Committee.

The meeting heard briefings from the National Bureau of Statistics and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. The National Development and Reform Commission provided a written report to the meeting.

CPPCC members and invited experts including Liu Wei, Bi Jingquan, He Wenbo, Liu Shangxi, Zhang Yichen, Wang Yilin, Mo Rong, Wang Yiming and Yang Kaisheng shared their views and suggestions for healthy economic development.

Regarding the country's GDP expansion of 4.8 percent in the first quarter, CPPCC members agreed that the growth marked stable progress at the start of the year when considering challenges that included a complex international situation and COVID-19 resurgences in many domestic regions.

Noting that the Chinese economy is facing new downward pressure, they called for a more proactive fiscal policy and flexible monetary policy, enhanced policy coordination, and innovative moves to cope with new changes and stabilize market expectations.

China should also maintain competitive advantages in some domestic industries, increase cross-industry management and coordination, and take multiple measures to secure energy supplies while optimizing its energy consumption structure, according to the speakers.

Efforts are also needed to keep macro policies stable, focus on job creation in driving economic growth, introduce various employment policies, and improve early warnings from unemployment analysis, according to the meeting.