The China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD) held an inaugural meeting for the special committees of its 15th central committee in Beijing, on April 9.

In the opening speech, Cai Dafeng, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and chairman of the CAPD Central Committee, voiced his appreciation and respect to the previous session's special committees as well as their outgoing leaders and members and congratulated the establishment of the new special committees.

Cai emphasized that the CAPD Central Committee should strengthen the leadership of the new special committees, leverage their advantages and enhance their role in researching practical problems and proposing development approaches.

The CAPD Central Committee should also improve the working mechanism to better guide the development of the special committees and their performance of duties, and enhance communication and exchanges between the special committees to improve work quality and efficiency, Cai said.

Greater efforts should be made to strengthen talent cultivation, capacity building and institutional construction, he added.

The meeting was presided over by Zhu Yongxin, vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee and executive vice-chairman of the CAPD Central Committee.