The Communist Party's fourth most powerful figure, the chief of the government's advisory body, has called on other advisers to play a bigger role in religious and ethnic affairs in order to help resolve conflicts during a politically sensitive year.
Jia Qinglin, chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said maintaining stability was a priority for the CPPCC.
He also pledged to increase contact with citizens, especially the young, in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
CPPCC members should 'make sure all the work of welcoming the 18th CPC National Congress is done well', to ensure a smooth leadership handover, he added.
'This year, we will improve [communication] with different sectors and focus on areas in which the public is confused... and conflicts are easily triggered, to make known government policies, dispel doubts, calm emotions and resolve conflicts,' Jia said in a speech to kick-start the annual gathering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday.
CPPCC delegates who belong to ethnic minority or religious groups should play a bigger role to maintain national unity and peaceful relations with religions, he said.
Jia highlighted the advisory body's work in visiting Xinjiang, drafting policies to increase support for the development of the autonomous western region, and proposing better welfare for religious groups.
