UNFAZED by downward pressure on the economy, China’s top political adviser Yu Zheng-sheng pledged yesterday further efforts to help advance reforms at the start of the most important two weeks on China’s political calendar this year.

    Presenting a work report of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee at the opening session of its annual meeting, Yu said the CPPCC should put the Four Comprehensives theory at the center of its work. Initiated by President Xi Jinping, the theory provides a roadmap to comprehensively build a moderately prosperous society, deepen reform, advance the rule of law and strictly govern the Party.

    Reform is a recurring keyword throughout Yu’s report, in which he looked back on the national political advisory body’s work last year and set new goals for 2015.

    Defining the year 2015 as “a critical year for comprehensively deepening reforms, the opening year for advancing the rule of law in an all-round way and the final year for completing the 12th Five-Year Plan,” Yu said the CPPCC should focus its suggestions and proposals on reform and development.

    Facing looming downward pressure on the world’s second-largest economy, the Chinese leadership has pinned much hope on decisive reforms in hope of more healthy and effective growth that has slowed down to a stage of “new normal” —the economy grew at its lowest pace in 24 years, expanding by 7.4 percent.

    China saw a fiscal reform program designed to improve the taxation and local government financing systems within two years, the liberalization of the household registration system, and revisions to lending interest rates that gave commercial banks more freedom.

    The government also abolished registered capital and administrative registration requirements for new businesses and slashed red tape blamed for stifling private investment.

    Yu said most of the CPPCC consultative activities, surveys and studies last year focused on deepening reform.

    In particular, political advisers offered suggestions on key issues such as judicial independence, government transparency, air pollution prevention and control as well as structural optimization of the economy.

    In 2015, political advisers should deliberate and make suggestions on the formulation of China’s 13th Five-Year Plan. The CPPCC will also conduct thorough investigations and studies on key topics, such as the Belt and Road initiatives and air pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, to provide reference materials for the Party and the government in their decision- making.

    (Xinhua)