In his inaugural speech as chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, Yu Zhengsheng portrayed the ideal for a national political advisor.

They would be faithful to the truth and have the guts to say it, and they would refrain from "extreme ideas that are flippant and impetuous and divorced from national conditions".

While vowing not to indiscriminately copy Western political models, Yu promised to "encourage criticism and suggestions about the performance of the Party and the government", and "support for the exchanging and discussing of different opinions".