China will select more than 2,000 new members next year for its top advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
The members, who are drawn from all walks of life, serve a term of five years, during which they are encouraged to share suggestions with policymakers.
While some of the current 2,200 members will be reselected when the body convenes in Beijing in March next year, there will also be many new faces.
The "consultative democracy" embodied by the CPPCC is an important way to foster consensus, and it acts as a "bridge between the Communist Part of China, which represents the most fundamental interests of the public, and non-Communist parties, which represent different groups", said Dong Shubin, associate professor at Jilin University's School of Marxism.
Members of the National Committee represent 34 groups, including business, culture, sports, women's issues, medicine, ethnic and religious groups and non-Communist parties. They range from scholars and economists like Justin Lin Yifu to businessmen like Li Yanhong - also known as Robin Li - chairman and chief executive officer of Baidu, to celebrities such as former NBA All-Star Yao Ming.
The CPPCC Charter requires political advisers at all levels to maintain close ties with the people and understand their needs as well as attend meetings and other activities organized by their committees.
Wu Hong, a political adviser with the National Committee and a senior forestry official from Zhejiang province, said he submitted a proposal this year to promote advanced forestry technology in counties. The proposal was based on the collective wisdom of forestry workers in a mountain village.
"I took part in a consultative meeting in Beijing in December. Some forestry workers who watched the news sent me letters to share information and suggestions," he said. "After reading those letters, I felt it was important for me to make their voice heard at the annual session of the CPPCC."
Wang Rong, chairman of the CPPCC Guangdong Provincial Committee, feels the 34 groups represented should be updated to include newly emerged social groups.
"It is important to adjust the groups to fit the changes in society," he said. "The CPPCC should represent different groups and pool the wisdom and strength of the entire nation to pursue a wide consensus."
