Jia Qinglin on Thursday encouraged members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to improve the system of socialist consultative democracy to pool strength and wisdom from the people.

While joining a panel discussion with delegates from Beijing on Hu Jintao's report delivered to the 18th CPC National Congress, Jia said China should keep to the socialist path of making political advance with Chinese characteristics.

Jia said the socialist consultative democracy is a great creation by the CPC and the Chinese people in exercising socialist democracy and widens the channel for orderly participation in political affairs in the country.

The consultative democracy system helps collect diversified views, desires and requests from different sectors of the society in a systematic and comprehensive way, he said.

Jia noted the system would make the policy-making process more scientific and democratic and facilitate a better way for the Party in exercising leadership and governance.

He stressed improvement of the system is a major issue the Party should address in promoting socialist democracy.

China should adhere to and improve the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the CPC leadership and let the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference serve as a major channel for conducting consultative democracy, he added.

He also encouraged exploration and promotion of coordination between the election mechanism and the consultation system.

Liu Qi also attended the panel discussion.