2. We actively carried out foreign relations work.
We steadfastly complied with and served the country's overall diplomatic objectives, made the most of the characteristics and advantages of the NPC's foreign relations work, developed multilevel friendly contacts with congresses and parliaments of other countries in multiple areas, and made a positive contribution to promoting the overall development of relations between China and other countries. We made steady progress in exchanges with the congresses and parliaments of the United States, Russia and the Republic of Korea as well as the European Parliament under a mechanism of regular exchanges, launched exchanges based on a similar mechanism with the National Assembly of France, and maintained the continuity and stability of exchanges between the NPC and foreign congresses and parliaments concerned. We continued to play a constructive role in the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum, the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting and other international and regional parliamentary organizations. We actively took part in the preparations for the Third World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, and at the conference we elucidated China' s viewpoints on major issues such as how to help attain the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and achieve the common development of humankind. We not only won the admiration of parliamentary leaders of developing countries, but also played an important role in the conference achieving practical results. We also expounded China's basic views on many occasions, so that the international community can more deeply comprehend China's basic situation and its adherence to scientific development and the path of peaceful development.
3. We strengthened self-improvement.
The Standing Committee continued to give top priority to ideological and political development; maintained the correct political orientation; and became ever more purposeful and resolute in upholding the leadership of the Party, adhering to the socialist system and keeping to the socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics. We diligently implemented the Party's line, principles and policies as well as its major decisions and arrangements. We maintained close ties with the people. We conscientiously held lectures on special topics and earnestly improved our ability to perform duties. We strengthened ties with standing committees of local people's congresses, learned from their good experiences in performing functions in accordance with the law, and worked with them to promote the development of our socialist democratic legal system. Taking into consideration the realities of their work and making use of their respective advantages, the special committees intensively carried out investigations and studies on special topics in various ways, made many good comments and suggestions, and played a very important role in raising the overall quality of the NPC's work and helping to improve the work of those we worked with. Bodies of the NPC actively carried out activities to encourage their Party members to excel in their work, strengthened the ranks of their cadres, and better played their role as collective advisers and assistants and service providers for deputies.
The achievements made by the Standing Committee last year are attributable to the industrious work of NPC deputies, members of the Standing Committee and the special committees, and employees of the NPC bodies under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary; to the concerted efforts of local people's congresses and their standing committees at all levels; to the cooperation of the State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate; and to the full support of the people. On behalf of the Standing Committee, I would like to express my sincerest thanks to them all.
At the same time, we realize that our work needs to be improved in a number of areas. First, we need to further improve services to deputies that are essential for them to carry out their duties. Second, we need to more quickly revise laws, and enact accompanying regulations in particular. And third, we need to focus more on key areas in our oversight work. We need to pay close attention to these problems, listen with an open mind to comments from deputies and adopt effective measures to solve them.