The 13th National Committee of the CPPCC has opened its first session in Beijing, marking the official start of China's annual political season, known as "Two Sessions". Over two thousand members will raise proposals regarding the economy, politics and social development to lawmakers of the National People's Congress over the next two weeks. Our reporter Wu Guoxiu tells us more.

At the CPPCC opening session, Chairman Yu Zhengsheng delivered a work report on the committee's achievements last year. The report said the people's interest and well-being should be at the center of the CPPCC's work. It also stressed the importance of sticking to opening-up policies and establishing good relations with other countries and international organizations.

YU ZHENGSHENG CHAIRMAN, CPPCC NATIONAL COMMITTEE "We should serve the deplomacy of the country, practically improve the high-level exchanges, promote the Belt and Road Intiative and the cooperations in strategic connection. We should communicate China's development and achievements, the multi-party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the CPC, the socialist consultative democracy, and the theory of A community of shared future to the outside world."

WU GUOXIU BEIJING "This area, with a hundred-meter long red carpet, is called the 'Delegates' Corridor'. Members are invited to speak to the media here -- a new feature for the Two Sessions. 11 CPPCC members -- including China's first space traveller, medical and agricultural officials, a member of the Winter Olympic Committee, and an actress -- have already answered journalists' questions here, as they walked to the session's opening meeting."

China has made great progress in its space program in recent years -- sending up a laboratory and several rockets. And it is at this Delegates' Corridor that the country's first space traveller was able to share his expectations.

Chairman Yu said advisers last year handed in 29,000 proposals, of which 24,000 pieces were registered and over 99 percent were handled. Many see this year's Two Sessions as a chance to deepen policies in order to better adapt to a new era. Wu Guoxiu CGTN."