Prior to and after the annual CPPCC session, all its individual and institutional members (including the central committees of the eight democratic parties, All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, relevant people's organizations, and CPPCC special committees) can file proposals at their convenience. After receiving the proposals, this subcommittee will examine them to assure their quality, according to relevant rules and the principle of respecting and protecting the democratic rights of the proposers. Then they'll discuss and decide who should the proposals be forwarded to for consideration. Those received during an ongoing session will be handed out at a "proposal delivery meeting" organized by the CPPCC National Committee, to relevant departments of the CPC Central Committee and central government and military departments at the central level, local governments, and people's organizations. Most of these proposals go to government departments, as a matter of fact. Those received between CPPCC sessions are handled and forwarded to relevant departments by the subcommittee at the earliest time possible. A department that is so engaged in the settlement of a proposal proceeds with the task according to relevant state laws, regulations and policies, and sends written feedback within a required time period. Meantime, the CPPCC National Committee monitors the entire process.

For example, at the 2008 CPPCC session Liu Xincai and 34 other members filed a joint proposal urging effective control of schistosomiasis in the four lakes area (see the note on page 18) in Hubei Province. It pointed out that the schistosomiasis epidemic in Hubei Province was so serious that it needed an immediate intervention by the central government. The subcommittee considered it a severe enough issue and classified the proposal high priority. It organized a special investigation, conducted by representatives of the proposers, schistosomiasis experts, leaders of the State Development and Reform Commission and representatives from the ministries of Health, Agriculture and Water Resources. Following their trip to Hubei, the group submitted their report together with solutions to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

In July 2008, Chairman Jia Qinglin of the CPPCC National Committee and Vice Premier Hui Liangyu issued instructions, obliging the ministries of Water Resources and Agriculture to cooperate with relevant departments and bring the epidemic under control. On October 24, 2008 the Hubei Provincial People's Government, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture launched their joint schistosomiasis control campaign. Under their formal agreement, the three parties set up a joint fund to guarantee standards controling disease transmission across the entire province by the end of 2013, two years ahead of the target set by the National Mid-Term and Long-Term Program for the Prevention and Control of Schistosomiasis. This was the initial result of a proposal brought about by the efforts of a subcommittee. "We're still watching for further development of the project," says Li Tielin.

Valuing the Results

The CPPCC develops and grows in tandem with the People's Republic. Since its establishment in 1949, it has received 85,000 proposals; some had great impact in their day. These contributed toward consolidating the new regime, promoting the socialist revolution and reconstruction, fueling the reform and opening-up and modernization drive, and enhancing other causes of direct concern and interest to the people. Director Li further elaborated on their significance in three respects.