The People's Daily carries an editorial Friday hailing the opening of the third session of the Ninth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

The session, being held at the turn of the century, has a special mission and is of great significance, the editorial says. The history of an increasingly developed and powerful New China is one that has witnessed the country's adherence to a multiparty cooperation and political consultative system and to solidarity of the Chinese nation.

The CPPCC is an invention by the Communist Party of China (CPC) that combines the united front theory of Marxist-Leninist parties with actual conditions in China, the People's Daily says. It is also a result of CPC's long unity and striving together with the non-Communist parties, non-party groups and patriots from all walks of life and ethnic groups, it says.

Over the past half century, the CPPCC has played an irreplaceable role in the political, economic and social life of the country and has accumulated abundant and valuable experience, it says.

The editorial quotes President Jiang Zemin as saying that unity and democracy constitute the basic experience of the CPPCC. To foster unity and democracy under the leadership of the CPC is the embodiment of the nature of the CPPCC, Jiang says.

The editorial reviewed major events that took place last year. These include the celebration of New China's fiftieth founding anniversary, the return of Macao to its motherland and new progresses made in reform, opening up and modernization.

In the meantime, it says, China safeguarded state sovereignty and dignity, the unity of the motherland, and social and political stability to create a sound social and political environment for the country to focus on economic work, with great victories achieved over three political struggles, namely, protest against barbaric attacks on the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia by the U.S.- led NATO, stern rebuke against the "two-state" fallacy by Lee Teng-hui who wants to split the motherland, and crackdown on the "Falun Gong" cult group. The CPPCC made important contributions to these struggles by firmly adhering to unity and democracy, the editorial says.

This year is the last year for China to implement its "Ninth Five-Year Plan" (1996-2000), attain the goals of state enterprise reform, and eliminate poverty in rural areas, the editorial says. China will also work out its "Tenth Five-Year Plan" (2001-2005) and strive for sustainable development, it says.

The CPPCC need to hold even higher the great banner of unity and democracy and play an even bigger role if China is to realize its great renaissance, the editorial says.

The People's Daily goes on to defines the unity of the CPPCC: as a unity with a great common goal, as a unity for China's reunification, and as a unity of all Chinese at home and abroad for a great renaissance of the Chinese nation.

The editorial defines the democracy of the CPPCC as a democracy whose main content is to hold consultations and discussions, make comments, raise proposals and exercise democratic supervision, and as a people's democracy with Chinese characteristics.

The CPPCC is the patriotic and united front organization of the Chinese people, with the broadest representation organizationally and the greatest inclusiveness politically, it says. It is an important institution for realizing the political system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC. It is an important form of socialist democratic polity that is in conformity with realities in China and the fundamental interests of the people, the editorial says.