Jia Qingguo, a CPPCC delegate and Professor of International Relations at Peking University, submitted a proposal to the CPPCC calling for the removal of “unnecessary” approval processes for academics engaging with think tanks and overseas exchange opportunities. His proposal said: “In order to raise the threshold, some institutes demand the approval of two persons for meeting with foreigners, and the Chinese expert will need to submit a detailed meeting report afterwards. They also cannot meet the same foreigners more than twice in a year.”  Conceding that some restrictions on overseas exchanges were needed, he said “Excessive management is undesirable. The existing management of overseas exchanges has gone beyond a reasonable limit … [and] will affect the quality of experts’ assessment of international issues and policy suggestions.” Jia Qingguo added that the complicated international environment meant it was necessary for China to get involved in global affairs. “It is only through keeping in touch with others, and exchanges, that experts can get an up-to-date and objective understanding of what’s happening outside, and provide reasonable policy suggestions to the government.”