Mar. 4 – The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China’s top political advisory body, opened the Third Session of the 11th National Committee in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Wednesday.

China’s premiere members of the ruling Communist Party, including President Hu Jintao, top lawmaker Wu Bangguo, and Premier Wen Jiabao, were seated on the central rostrum when the session opened.

More than 2,000 CPPCC National Committee delegates from across the country are also attending the annual conference scheduled to run through to March 13. Attending members will discuss major issues concerning the nation’s development as well as plans to promote national reunification and social harmony.

In the work report, CPPCC National Committee Chairman Jia Qinglin pledged that the CPPCC would make more efforts in 2010 to boost the nation’s economic development, improve people’s well-being, maintain social harmony and stability, promote ethnic unity and religious harmony, and strengthen emotional ties between people across the Taiwan Strait.

“The CPPCC will carry out thorough investigations and studies on improving the institutions, mechanisms and policy orientation for accelerating the transformation of the pattern of economic development,” Jia said.

He vowed that the CPPCC would give its full attention to factors affecting social stability that have their source in the excessive income gap, and offer solutions and suggestions on adjusting the pattern of national income distribution.

An online survey conducted by China Daily showed that people’s top concerns in China are income disparities, housing, and the anti-corruption bid.