Hu Jintao delivers a keynote speech at a celebration rally marking the 55th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing, Capital of China, Sept. 21, 2004.

President Hu Jintao on Tuesday said China will continue to adhere to its 55-year-old multi-party cooperation and political consultation system involved by non-Communist parties and people from all social strata in the country for the promotion of democracy and "socialist political civilization."

Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee the and newly-installed chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, made the remark at a rally marking the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

The CPPCC, convened its first national meeting on September 21, 1949, just days before the New China was founded, is now China's most influential and broad-based advisory institution. It comprises more than 2,000 members, including leading figures of non-Communist parties and various major non-governmental organizations and influential figures without party affiliation, representatives of ethnic minority groups and overseas Chinese.

"China will make better use of the CPPCC as an important form of carrying forward socialist democracy in the country's political life, and constantly develop socialist democratic politics and promote socialist political civilization," said the Chinese president.

He also urged CPC committees and the governments at all levels to follow the important democratic procedures of consultations before making any major decision and policy while giving full scope to the CPPCC's supervision over the implementation of laws, regulations and major policies and the performances of the governments and officials.

Analysts say Hu's pledge is consistent to the ideas set forth in the just concluded 4th Plenum of the 16th CPC Central Committee, which topped "ruling capacities" as its priority in Party building.

Hu also promised to give full play to the CPPCC as a patriotic united front organization for the united front has always been a treasure for pushing forward the causes of the Party and the people.

"It is a natural requirement to develop the most broad-based patriotic united front and accomplish a great solidarity among all political parties, communities, ethnic groups, social groups and all China-loving people under the leadership of CPC," Hu said.

The president noted that CPPCC shoulders significant responsibility and occupies an important position as the country is working hard to build itself into a well-off society.

China has managed to establish its socialist political system that adapts to its actual national conditions during its long-term experience. The core of China's political system consists of the people's congress system, the CPC-led multi-party cooperation and political consultation system, and the system of regional autonomy for ethnic minority groups, he said.

"The key to the development of China's socialist democratic politics is to well adhere to and develop all these systems," he acknowledged.

Hu also called on the people's political consultative conference to pay great attention to self-improvement, urging the people's political consultative conference to adhere to Deng Xiaoping Theory and the Important Thought of "Three Represents" and be creative in its undertakings.

He asked the national top political advisory body to do work in strict compliance with the requirements of centering round economic construction and serving the overall situation of reform and development, and to make more substantial efforts in uniting various parties and further strengthen the broadest patriotic united front.

He called for advancing construction of the system, standardization and procedure of political consultation, democratic supervision and participation in and discussion of the government and political affairs and giving further play to the characteristics and advantages of the people's political consultative conference.

According to political setup in the country, the people's political consultative conferences are entitled to three major functions: political consultation, democratic supervision and participation in and discussion and handling of state affairs.

Political consultation means the CPC committees and governments at all levels should solicit opinions from them on major policies changes or matters of major importance concerning political, economic, cultural and social affairs.

Democratic supervision means that the consultative conferences may exercise, by means of offering suggestions and criticisms, supervision over the implementation of the Constitution, other laws, regulations and major policies, and over the work of government agencies and their functionaries.

Participation in the discussion and the handling of state affairs means to organize CPPCC members of various parties, people's organizations, various minority people and other social groups to take part in the country's political, economic, cultural and social activities in whatever way they think fit.