Six high-caliber experts have been hired by the State Council's Counselors' Office, bringing to 56 the number of the top consultants to the nation.

Those who newly joined the ranks are: Xu Xianping, a former deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission; He Xiurong and He Maochun, economics professionals; Shi Yong and Hu Peiyuan, who specialize in data research; and Ke Jinhua, who studies philosophy.

The office serves as a platform for other political parties to play a supervisory role over the nation's major policies and acts as a united front for the Communist Party of China to associate with other political parties in China.

Counselors have been providing advice to the central government on a wide range of issues relating to important policies since the office was established in November 1949, soon after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The Counselors' Office, a think tank for the central government, began to hire professionals from the CPC over the past decade. Before that, most of the counselors were members of non-Communist parties, high-ranking officials of the Kuomingtang who supported the leadership of the Communist Party of China and former senior government officials with no affiliation to any political party.

In 2011, eight of the newly appointed consultants were experts renowned for their innovative social affairs management concepts.

One of them, Li Lei, is head of Beijing No 2 Experimental Primary School and a trailblazer in primary education in the capital. Li was included as a consultant to facilitate education reform.

Last week, four people were hired as members of the Central Research Institute of Culture and History of the CPC. The institute provides honorary positions for culture and history professionals, especially for those who are members of other political parties in China.

Quick facts

・ The State Council's Counselors' Office was set up in November 1949 by China's former top leaders. The Central Research Institute of Culture and History of the Communist Party of China was set up in July 1951. Both departments served as a united front for non-Communist senior scholars and dignitaries. The two departments use the same office building.

・ A working ordinance was introduced in January 2010 limiting the term of every consultant to five years. The document also says consultants should be between 55 and 65 years of age when they are hired for the first time. The age for a sitting consultant should not exceed 70. Consultants should be mainly non-Party members or politically unaffiliated.

・ In November 2008, a guest research fellow system was set up allowing the Counselors' Office to hire researchers in professional fields. At present, 23 people are employed as guest research fellows.

・ To date, 219 people have been hired as consultants and 309 as members of the Central Research Institute of Culture and History of the Communist Party of China.