China's top advisory body will meet from Thursday in Beijing for a nine days and a half annual session, giving the floor to its more than 2,000 members to voice their opinions freely on the country's reform and development, a spokesperson said Wednesday.

The third session of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) will begin in the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing Thursday afternoon and last till the afternoon of March 12, said Wu Jianmin, the session's spokesman, at a press briefing Wednesday afternoon.

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the 10th CPPCC National Committee, will deliver a report on the work of the National Committee's Standing Committee over the past year, while Zhang Huaixi, a vice chairperson of the National Committee, will brief the members on how their suggestions and proposals were handled throughout the year 2004, said Wu.

The CPPCC members, coming from around the country, will also participate in the third annual session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, as non-voting observers, Wu added.

They will discuss the draft anti-secession law the NPC is to give an explanation and put before lawmakers for adoption during the legislature's annual session, which runs almost parallel to the CPPCC session.

Wu said domestic and foreign journalists are welcomed to cover the CPPCC session's opening and closing meetings, as well as the special "speech sessions" at which advisors will speak out on major social problems. Journalists are also invited to attend a number of open-door panel discussions of the CPPCC members.

Two press conferences will be held during the session.