The Hong Kong delegation arrives in Beijing yesterday to attend the third session of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The session starts today and ends on March 12. (Photo: Xinhua)

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

The third session of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference will begin in the Great Hall of the People this afternoon and last until the afternoon of March 12, Wu Jianmin, the session's spokesman, said at a press briefing yesterday.

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 members on how their suggestions and proposals were handled throughout the past year, 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, China's top legislature, as non-voting observers.

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

Wu said the anti-secession law aims partially at curbing secessionist activities conducted by the forces for "Taiwan independence" and will greatly help promote cross-strait relations.

He made the remarks while answering questions raised by a Taiwan journalist.

"Everybody longs for peace and stability but activities of the forces for 'Taiwan independence' threaten regional peace and stability," said Wu.

He also quoted remarks made by Jia on January 28 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Jiang Zemin's speech on Taiwan issues made on January 30, 1995.

According to Jia, the anti-secession law will help promote the development of cross-strait relations and peaceful reunification, maintain China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, oppose and curb any secessionist activities as well as maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

"It is a law in compliance with the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation on the whole," Jia noted.

"Chairman Jia's remarks clearly represented the CPPCC National Committee's views on the anti-secession law, of which the legislation procedure has been set in motion," said Wu.

Fears that the law will damage cross-strait relations were "groundless," the spokesman said.

Wu also hailed the move to have more Hong Kong representatives in this central government think tank. "To have more personages from Hong Kong in the CPPCC National Committee is very conducive to the strengthening of communications between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the central government," he said in reply to a reporter.

Asked whether the CPPCC National Committee will undergo any major personnel changes, Wu said any such change must go through democratic procedures, and therefore it can't be predicted before the formal start of the session.

The CPPCC National Committee recently decided to induct 80 new members, including nine from Hong Kong and two from Macau.

Wu said domestic and foreign journalists are welcome to cover the CPPCC session's opening and closing meetings, as well as the special "speech sessions" at which advisers will speak 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.