IV. Our foreign exchange work entered a new phase.
Foreign exchange work of the NPC is an important part of the country's
overall diplomatic work and plays an important role in enhancing mutual
understanding, strengthening mutual trust in the political arena and promoting
mutually beneficial cooperation. Last year we received 90 delegations from 56
countries, and missions headed by members of our Chairperson's Council visited
30 countries and regions.
Setting up mechanisms for regular exchanges with the parliaments or
congresses of other countries is an important NPC measure that helps maintain
the continuity and stability of our foreign exchange work and makes the work
more productive. Significant progress was made in setting up such mechanisms
last year.
First, on the basis of the mechanisms we had established for regular
exchanges with the parliaments or congresses of eight countries, including
Russia and the United States, as well as with the European Parliament over the
previous few years, we set up last year mechanisms at different levels for
exchanges with the parliaments or congresses of South Africa, the Republic of
Korea, India, Australia, Egypt, Brazil and Chile as well as the Japanese Diet. A
basic pattern for such mechanisms has now been established.
Second, the cooperation council composed of members of the Standing Committee
and the Russian Federation Council and the cooperation council composed of
members of the Standing Committee and the State Duma of Russia held their first
meeting. A fresh round of talks was held separately by members of the Standing
Committee with members of the US Senate and with members of the U.S. House of
Representatives. The NPC held its twenty-third regular meeting with the European
Parliament. The cooperation council composed of members of the Standing
Committee and the Japanese House of Councilors held its second meeting. The
NPC's exchanges with the parliaments of France, the United Kingdom, Canada and
other countries proceeded smoothly. During the exchanges, the two sides
conducted a thorough exchange of views on bilateral relations and major
international and regional issues of common concern, drew up general plans for
multilevel exchanges and cooperation in various areas, and discussed ways and
means to promote cooperation in practical matters. They deepened their exchanges
under their mechanism for regular exchanges. All this has injected fresh
vitality into the development of state-to-state relations and expanded the scope
of topics discussed and areas of cooperation.
Friendly relations with the parliaments or congresses of neighboring
countries were strengthened, friendly cooperation with the parliaments or
congresses of developing countries was strengthened, and good progress was made
in exchanges in the areas of legislation and oversight. A roundtable meeting of
the Chinese and Russian legislative bodies was staged by the NPC and the Russian
Federation Council in Harbin last September as an important activity in China's
Year of Russia. At the meeting, the two sides clarified the focus and forms of
their cooperation under the new circumstances. During its exchanges with foreign
countries, the Standing Committee adapted its means of communication to suit the
target audience and used a large quantity of information and data to widely
publicize China's domestic and foreign policies and thoroughly explain to the
world the country's commitment to a path of peaceful development and its
dedication to building a harmonious world. The Standing Committee also
thoroughly and carefully addressed the questions of Taiwan and Tibet. All this
enhanced understanding and acceptance of China's domestic and foreign policies
among the parliaments, congresses and governments and among the legislators and
ordinary people of other countries.
We actively participated in the multilateral activities of international and
regional parliamentary organizations such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the
Asian Parliament Assembly, the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum, the Latin
American Parliament, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization, and the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Pacific Islands Forum, and worked with these
organizations to safeguard the rights and interests of developing countries. We
attended the first speakers' meeting of the member states of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization, held in Moscow last May, where we raised three
proposals. One was to work for cooperation between parliaments under the
framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, another was to focus on
promoting cooperation among all member states in practical issues in all areas
including the fight against violent terrorist forces, ethnic separatist forces
and religious extremist forces, and a third was to adopt a variety of flexible
means for cooperation at regular or irregular intervals. The proposals received
widespread approval from the participants and exerted a positive influence on
the development of multilateral cooperation among parliaments and congresses.
The Standing Committee last year ratified 18 treaties and agreements China
concluded with foreign states and approved the country's accession into 3
international conventions. It also made decisions on and approved the
appointment and removal of a number of employees in Chinese state organs.
The Standing Committee paid close attention to self-improvement. Its members
earnestly studied Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three
Represents and gained a thorough understanding of major strategic concepts such
as the Scientific Outlook on Development and the building of a harmonious
socialist society. Lectures on special topics related to the work of the
Standing Committee were organized for their members to constantly improve their
knowledge of the law and modern science and culture and help them improve their
ability to perform their functions in accordance with the law. We improved the
system for releasing information through the news media, successfully ran the
NPC website and a television program on the law, and began live television
coverage of meetings of the Standing Committee on the Internet, all of which
made our work more transparent. Organs of the Standing Committee implemented the
Civil Service Law, launchedan education campaign to foster the socialist concept
of honor anddisgrace among its employees, stepped up efforts to improve the
overall quality of their cadres, and constantly worked to consolidate and
enlarge on the results of the education campaign to preserve the advanced nature
of Party members. This improved our service attitude as well as the quality of
our work.
