The bi-weekly consultation session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference - which was restored in 2013 - has become a platform to promote consultative democracy and mutual understanding.

"Leaders of the national committee of the CPPCC are able to meet about 400 CPPCC members a year, including many members from non-Communist parties and those with no political party affiliation," said Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC.

The first session on Oct 22, 2013 - held after a hiatus of 47 years - discussed economic development. Since then the CPPCC has held 46 sessions, pooling wisdom from more than 900 members and experts on topics from social and economic development to nuclear power.

The sessions invite members from various fields and backgrounds-mainly from non-Communist parties or those with no party affiliation - to discuss and propose solutions to practical problems, and is an innovative mechanism for mainly non-Communist parties to take part in the poli