China to install more non-Communist officials

BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- More eligible non-Communists are expected to become high-ranking officials in China following last year's appointments of two non-Communist ministers, said a spokesman of the forthcoming annual political advisory session.

"Many non-Communist personages have taken up posts at government departments and judicial bodies since China started its reform and opening up [toward the late 1970s]," said Wu Jianmin, spokesman for the First Session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Wan Gang, of the China Zhi Gong Dang (Party for Public Interest), was appointed Minister of Science and Technology last April as the first non-Communist party cabinet minister since the late 1970s.

In two months, Chen Zhu, non-party member, became Minister of Health.

Their appointments represented "major moves" of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in enhancing socialist democracy and pushing forward multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, Wu said at a press conference on the eve of the annual political advisory session.

The CPPCC session is slated to open on Monday afternoon at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing, and will last 11 days.

"Across China, more than 31,000 non-Communists are working as officials at and above county level, of whom at least 6,000 work at government organizations and judicial bodies at various levels," he said.

Twenty non-Communist officials are working at the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and central government departments, said Wu.

Meanwhile, China's 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have in total 30 non-Communist vice governors, and 15 big and medium-sized cities have non-Communist vice mayors.

"The cooperation between the CPC and non-Communist parties have recorded new progress thanks to the care and attention of the CPC Central Committee and CPC committees at various levels," Wu said.

China's eight non-Communist parties represent specific interestgroups, reflect complaints and suggestions from all walks of life and serve as a mode of supervision of the CPC.