Premier calls for insightful and targeted suggestions from top advisers

Premier Li Keqiang called on Wednesday for top advisers to contribute thoughts and suggestions on how to improve the government’s policymaking.

During a ceremony, Li granted certificates to six new counselors of the Counselors’ Office of the State Council and to four newly recruited researchers at the China Central Institute for Culture and History. Both are think tanks of the central government.

Li said he hoped counselors would closely follow China’s social and economic development and conduct in-depth research on major issues, amid a sluggish world economy and the country’s efforts to restructure and cultivate new momentum for the economy.

According to its website, the COSC was initiated in November 1949, two years before the institute’s establishment. Now the two bodies are housed in the same building and under the leadership of the Party committee of the COSC. The office has established ties with 46 think tanks from 26 countries and regions.

Before the accreditation ceremony, the office had 57 counselors and 34 research fellows, and the institute had 65 researchers, the COSC website said. Most of these advisers are members of eight democratic parties or have no party affiliation. Some of them are members of the Communist Party of China, ranging from experts and scholars to leading researchers with macro management expertise.

At a meeting after the ceremony, the premier called on government departments to improve their work by absorbing research achievements and suggestions made by the advisers, who the premier said are knowledgeable and have broad vision.

“Development is the top priority for the government, which must be a key area for counselors and researchers,” he said.

China has shown steady performance in economic growth, with people’s livelihoods improved, but it still faces challenges, both domestically and from the international community, the premier said.

Li said he hoped the advisers could strengthen research in key areas, such as how to balance the stabilization of economic growth with restructuring, promote supply-side economic reform and improve China’s competitiveness through innovation.

The premier said he expects research achievements from the advisers to be insightful, clearly targeted and applicable.

Wang Huiyao, the director of the Center for China and Globalization who was accredited as a counselor in February last year, attended Wednesday’s meeting.

Last year, Wang and his organization made suggestions to the State Council on introducing overseas talent and received feedback from Vice-Premier Liu Yandong. Wang had also called for China to join the International Organization for Migration, which will happen soon.

Wang was impressed that Premier Li emphasized the role of the Counselors’ Office as a think tank for top leaders and called on counselors to base their suggestions on close tracking of the prospects for China’s economy and the world’s.

“The premier has his eye on trade liberalization and facilitation while the World Trade Organization is pessimistic about international trade, and this requires our suggestions,” Wang said.