BEIJING — Members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee are heading to Beijing for the top advisory body’s annual session, which will open on March 3 with more than 2,000 members expected to be in attendance.

Political advisors from Southwest China’s Sichuan province and central Hubei province were among the first to arrive on March 1.

As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and a crucial year in the country’s bid to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, poverty alleviation and people’s wellbeing are drawing very close attention.

“I’m keeping a close eye on the poverty relief issues in areas with abject poverty,” said He Yanzheng, one of the members. “The key to preventing people from falling back into poverty due to illnesses lies in better training of health workers.”

“I have been closely following the issue of building a system of family and community doctors for a long time. I have also done research at community and county-level hospitals,” said Zhang Xiaolian, another political advisor.

“I hope my proposal will help improve people’s access to healthcare and ease the crowds at big hospitals,” Zhang said.

Elected from all walks of life, CPPCC members form the think tank for the government and the legislative and judicial organs, submitting proposals on major political and social issues.

The main functions of the CPPCC are to conduct political consultation, exercise democratic supervision and participate in the discussion and handling of state affairs.