More than 60 percent of the members of China's new top political advisory body were non-Communist Party members, Lyu Xinhua, spokesman for 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said Saturday.

The 12th CPPCC National Committee, which has a total of 2,237 members, will start its first session in Beijing on Sunday.

Lyu said the new national committee is composed of members from different sectors, including those from the Communist Party of China (CPC), non-Communist parties, religious circle, as well as personages from Hong Kong and Macao. Some of the members are leading figures in the fields of economy, science, culture and education.

Nearly 17.8 percent of the 12th CPPCC National Committee members are female, higher than that of the previous committee.

Lyu said 48.3 percent of the 12th CPPCC National Committee members are new faces, and 51.7 percent of them were also members of the 11th CPPCC National Committee.

(Xinhua News Agency March 2, 2013)