Change reflects desire to adapt quickly and move with the times

The 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference is the top political advisory body. Consisting of representatives from a range of participating groups, the committee has been adding and removing groups so it can remain representative and adapt to the country's recent development.

The 2,000-plus members of the 14th CPPCC National Committee have been divided into 34 participating groups, mainly political parties, people's organizations and various industries.

Ten of the groups are political in nature: the Communist Party of China, the eight noncommunist parties, and public figures without party affiliation.

There are eight groups made up of representatives of people's organizations, including the All-China Women's Federation and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

Eleven groups represent different industries, including the media and publications, medicine and health, science and technology, environment and natural resources, agriculture, the sports sector and education.

The remainder includes ethnic groups, religious bodies and specially invited figures from Hong Kong and Macao.

A full list of members of the 14th CPPCC National Committee — which will begin its five-year term at this year's two sessions — was issued in January. It showed that a new group had been launched to focus on the environment and natural resources.

Meanwhile, two original groups, the All-China Youth Federation and the Communist Youth League of China, which both focus on young people, have been combined.

Before the recent changes, the CPPCC's composition had undergone several changes in the course of its history by adding new groups as society developed, canceling outdated entities or merging others.

The groups are regarded as major channels to reflect the interests and voices from all walks of life, and the changes reflect the development of society, the national focus and that of the Communist Party of China.

For example, in 1988, during the seventh CPPCC National Committee, the China Association for Science and Technology, an organization of scientists and engineers, was added as a constituent group.

The addition was made after a meeting on Sept 5, 1988, between China's leader, Deng Xiaoping, and Gustav Husak, president of Czechoslovakia, during which Deng said, "Science and technology are primary productive forces."

In 1993, during the eighth CPPCC National Committee, an economics group was set up as the country strengthened its focus on related development. Also, after Hong Kong returned to the motherland in 1997, a group composed of Hong Kong and Macao compatriots was split into two.

Until this year, there had been no adjustment to the groups, apart from changes to some names. For example, during the 10th CPPCC National Committee, when China established its social security system, the name of the social welfare group was expanded to include social security. Meanwhile, the name of a group focused on agroforestry was also expanded to include broader agricultural sectors such as forestry, livestock and fisheries.