Advisory body sharpens focus (2)

"The downsizing of the CPPCC leadership is a positive response to the call by the CPC for fewer leaders and greater efficiency," said Huang Changyuan, vice-chairman of the Xinjiang committee of the CPPCC.

The CPC's top decision-making body — the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee — was trimmed to seven members from nine in November.

Sun Taili, a CPPCC National Committee member and president of Qingda Group, a private investment company in Tianjin, said he felt excited that two influential financial figures had joined the body's leadership.

"Financial reform is crucial for the success of China's reform," he said. "I believe they can give and inspire high-quality proposals for financial reform and promote a fair environment for small and medium-sized companies."

Yang Yuanqing, chairman and CEO of the world's major PC maker, Lenovo Group, also said it's great to see more financial experts become top CPPCC leaders as the economy is crucial to State affairs.

Yang said he expects the body's new leadership can give more advice to the government to maintain stable economic growth and boost domestic demand.

The CPPCC serves as a key mechanism for multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and is a major symbol of socialist democracy.

Yu, the newly elected chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, was elected to the Party's seven-member top decision-making body in November.

"The new leadership (of the CPPCC) shows great diversity in their ages, academic background and walks of life," said Alsuyara, a Uygur member of the National Committee of the CPPCC.

"I hope the new leadership, with Yu as chairman, can carry on the good practices of their predecessors and make the CPPCC a better platform for socialist democratic consultation, a hub for good ideas, and get more firsthand information (on major issues) via in-depth research at the grassroots level," she said.

The first session of the 12th CPPCC National Committee is scheduled to close on Tuesday.

But the country's leadership transfer will continue as the top legislature — the National People's Congress — is expected to elect the country's new president, vice-president, cabinet, top judge and procurator this week.