China's top officials were given ten lectures in 2006 on the major issues affecting Chinese society, according to a report by Xiaokang, a magazine related to the CPC Central Committee.

Since the lectures were introduced by Chinese President Hu Jintao four years ago, members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee have attended 38 such lectures.

The subject of the lectures was decided by the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee. Fifteen fields, including law, the economy, technology, national defense, agriculture and education, were covered. Law was the most frequently discussed topic.

The most recent lecture, given on January 23 this year, instructed officials about web technologies and China's management of Internet service.

"The lectures, given by two professors, aim to help the central leadership improve its decision making and governing capacity by reaching a common consensus," the report quoted an unnamed official with the General Office of the CPC Central Committee.

"The lectures were also designed to keep up with the relevant issues of the time," said the report. "The fourth lecture, given on April 28, 2003, provided advice on measures to prevent and control SARS."

Seventy-seven scholars from 37 institutes and universities have been invited to Zhongnanhai, the Chinese leaders' compound in downtown Beijing, to give the lectures. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences provided the highest number of lecturers.

"These collective study meetings show the central leadership values democratic decision making and collective wisdom, which is of great importance to the progress of China's political democracy and civilization," the report quoted several lecturers - including Li Lin from CASS and Zhao Shukai from the Development Research Center of the State Council - as saying.

Lectures, which only addressed aspects of law, dated back to 1985 when Hu Yaobang served as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. There were one or two lectures every year during Jiang Zemin's term, said Li Lin.

Source: Xinhua