The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a rubber-stamp advisory body, opened its 12-day session yesterday at the Great Hall of the People in the capital.

The opening of the merely ceremonial 2,267-member body is a prelude to the kick-off on Monday of the upper house and main legislative body, the 3,000-member National People's Congress (NPC).

But in a keynote speech, CPPCC Chairman Jia Qinglin set the expected tone for the NPC gathering by calling for a renewed effort to blunt the harsher aspects of China's economic boom.

"The CPPCC should fully play its role to promote the harmonious relations between different parties, nationalities, religions, social classes, and compatriots from both home and overseas," Jia said.

China's leaders have been struggling to maintain what they call a "harmonious" society amid an economic boom that has brought income disparities, corruption and severe pollution affecting the health of millions.

Though little debate actually occurs in the parliament, the state-run Xinhua news agency on Saturday ran a series of stories pointing out problems that need to be addressed, including a lack of safe drinking water for millions of people, inadequate health care and scarce jobs.

Although neither legislative body has ever opposed a single Communist Party or government-backed proposal since the People's Republic was founded in 1949, the annual session provides a forum for the government to lay out its aims for the following year.

The NPC will approve a work report by Premier Wen Jiabao that underlines the "harmony" drive.

"All government departments must be highly attentive to the problems concerning the people's daily lives," the state-run press cited Wen as saying last month as he prepared the report.

"The government must improve social welfare work and ensure the basic necessities for people in poverty."

The parliament is expected to pass a long-awaited property law offering extra protection for the private sector and another that will raise tax rates on foreign enterprises, bringing them in line with domestic firms at a unified 25 percent rate.

Wen is also expected to set an economic growth target for this year of about eight percent.

Similar targets have been exceeded in the past but the government officials have said Wen would outline more forceful measures including possible structural reforms this year to rein in growth.

Lawmakers are also expected to discuss ways to make China's legal system more fair.