国内英语新闻：Jiu San Society kicks off 9th national congress

BEIJING -- The Jiu San Society, one of China's eight democratic parties, opened here on Saturday the ninth national congress.

The congress will hear and examine a work report by the society's 11th central committee, discuss and approve a draft amendment to the Jiu San Society's Constitution, and select the 12th central committee of the society.

He Guoqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with the participants to the congress and delivered a congratulatory speech on behalf of the CPC Central Committee.

"In the past five years, the Jiu San Society actively advised on state affairs and performed its duty of democratic supervision," He said.

"The society has been an important force to build socialism with Chinese characteristics and the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the CPC's leadership," he added.

The CPC hopes that members of the Jiu San Society will take full advantage of their wisdom and strength to the undertaking of China's reform and development, He said.

Han Qide, executive chairman of the presidium of the society's ninth national congress, gave a work report at the congress on behalf of the society's 11th central committee.

Concerning itself with China's economic and social development, the Jiu San Society has been making efforts to promote science and education and solicit opinions from general public in the past year, Han said in his report.

At the end of 1944, a number of progressive scholars organized the Forum on Democracy and Science, to strive for victory in the Anti-Japanese War and political democracy, and to develop the anti-imperialist and patriotic spirit of the May 4 Movement of 1919.

In commemoration of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and in the world anti-Fascist war, on Sept. 3, 1945, it adopted the name Jiu San Society ("Jiu San" means Sept. 3 in Chinese).

On May 4, 1946, the Jiu San Society was formally founded in Chongqing.

Now its more than 105,000 members are mainly senior and leading intellectuals in the fields of science and technology.