CHINA’S top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, will open its annual session today in Beijing.

The Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square will host the week-long parallel meetings of the conference and the National People’s Congress (NPC), which begins on Wednesday.

The conference is an advisory body with more than 2,000 members, part of the “united front” work that sees the party liaise with non-communist groups and individuals to advance its interests.