Journalists raise hands to ask questions at a news conference of the second session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 3, 2024. [Photo by Zou Hong/chinadaily.com.cn]

National CPPCC members will continue to focus on advancing China's modernization to provide suggestions and build consensus to harness wisdom and strength in achieving the country's development goals, Liu Jieyi, spokesman for the second session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee said at a news conference on Sunday, one day ahead of its annual session.

While mentioning that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China as well as the 75th anniversary of the CPPCC, Liu said, "Throughout its 75 years of history, the CPPCC has played a pivotal role in various historical periods."

The 14th CPPCC National Committee, which started its five-year term last year, has fully utilized its role as a specialized consultative body, conducting thorough investigations, consultations and democratic oversight on central tasks, thereby making fresh contributions to the development of the Communist Party of China and the country, he said.

The CPPCC National Committee conducted 94 consultations last year that were attended by advisers and officials to exchange ideas, with many suggestions being translated into policies and measures to propel socioeconomic development, Liu said.

These meetings focused on various issues, including building a new development pattern, accelerating the implementation of an innovation-driven development strategy, optimizing the development environment for private enterprises, enhancing the influence of Chinese culture and improving the policy system supporting childbirth, he said.

The CPPCC also organized 138 research and investigation activities for advisers to improve their consultative discussions over the past year, Liu said.

The CPPCC National Committee has established a system for thematic research, with the vice-chairpersons of the CPPCC National Committee leading advisers from various backgrounds to conduct in-depth research on crucial topics including promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and advancing the governance of new pollutants, he said.