BEIJING, March 3 (APP): The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top political advisory body, will open its session at Great Hall of People in Beijing on March 4 at 3 p.m. and conclude on March 10.
Guo Weimin, spokesperson for the fourth session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee briefed media that this year’s session will be shorter than previously planned amid regular measures to prevent and control COVID-19.
“Last year, we shortened duration, streamlined staffing and streamlined documents. We also combined physical meetings with virtual ones. This year, we will build on past practices and make the programme more effective,” Guo said.
The upcoming session will discuss the draft plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan and other key political and economic topics.
The claim that China exports COVID-19 vaccines to expand geopolitical clout is narrow-minded, Guo told the press conference.
China has always put the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines first, Guo said. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, China has made vaccine research and development as one of its major tasks, and enormous resources have been poured into vaccine development.
As of February 28, China has administered 52 million vaccine doses. Some foreign leaders have taken Chinese vaccines as well, he said.
China has also provided vaccines to 69 countries and two international organizations, and exported vaccines to 28 countries, Guo said.
About poverty alleviation, he said, “China’s political advisory body has given priority to poverty eradication work, which is a vivid manifestation of its commitment to central tasks.,”
“Experts said China’s poverty alleviation standard is a comprehensive one and higher than the World Bank’s standard of $1.90 per day. The basic living needs of the rural population are met,” the senior official elaborated.
He said, despite the remarkable achievement pocketed in poverty alleviation cause, China’s development remains unbalanced and inadequate, hence the country is poised to consolidate the gains of poverty alleviation and press ahead with the rural revitalization strategy.
“CPPCC members hold that a string of supportive policies and the monitoring-and-assisting mechanism should be maintained to prevent people from falling back into poverty.
They believe it is indispensable to prop up employment and distinctive industries in areas that have shrugged off poverty,” he said.
