Vital steps the Communist Party of China (CPC) must take to improve its ruling capacities include adhering to and improving multi-party cooperation and political consultation systems as well to strengthen the broadest patriotic united front, said a senior official Wednesday.

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said that at a forum to mark the 55th anniversary of the founding of the nation's top advisory body.

To better play its advisory function, Jia said the CPPCC should improve its work in five aspects.

First, he urged the CPPCC to keep to Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of the "Three Represents" as well as the important guidelines of the Fourth Plenum of the 16th CPC Central Committee that concluded on Sunday.

He said the CPPCC should firmly foster and conscientiously implement the concept of scientific development and mobilize society's strength to advance the coordinated development of material civilization, spiritual civilization and political civilization so as to contribute to building an all-around well-off society.

Thirdly, he stated the CPPCC should stick to the concept of "the people first" and maintain the people's fundamental interests as its top priority.

Moreover, he called for advancing the development of the system, standardization and procedure of political consultation, democratic supervision and participation in and discussion of government and political affairs and for giving more attention to the characteristics and advantages of the CPPCC.

He also urged the CPPCC to pay still greater attention to self-improvement.

Members of CPPCC committees at all levels nationwide must go deep into the grassroots and reflect and forward people's true voice to government and the Party, Jia said.

Participants who attended yesterday's forum also made speeches to recall the glorious history of the CPPCC during the past half century.

The 7th standing committee conference of the 10th CPPCC National Committee was also kicked off Wednesday in Beijing with the theme to study and carry out the guidelines of the Fourth Plenum of the 16th CPC Central Committee.

At the opening ceremony of the conference, Chinese Vice-President Zeng Qinghong made a report on the CPC's decision to improve its ruling capacities.

The improvement of the Party's ruling capacities is vital to the success of the Chinese Socialist course, the future of the Chinese people, the survival of the CPC as well as the long-term stability and peace of the whole nation, Zeng said.

Echoing Zeng's speech, Jia said it is the common task for the CPPCC to study and carry out the guidelines of the Fourth Plenum of the 16th CPC Central Committee.

The three-day conference will also discuss reports that CPPCC members have drafted during their inspections tours around the provinces of Hebei, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Gansu and the autonomous regions of Inner Mongolia and Ningxia.

(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2004)