Sessions attend to public opinion
China Daily  Updated: 2005-03-11 05:58

The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top advisory body, are currently holding their annual sessions in Beijing. The following are excerpts of editorial and commentary in some Chinese media on issues deliberated at the two sessions.

Workers' Daily: Knowing that public opinion accounts for a high proportion of a proposal's success, NPC deputies and CPPCC members have tried every means possible to seek communication with the masses.

Most of the 934 proposals submitted before the opening of the Third Session of the 10th CPPCC are about subjects people are talking about, far outnumbering those of last year.

Compared to former years, this year has seen an increase in the number of NPC deputies and CPPCC members' showing accountability and enthusiasm in expressing some people's concerns.

For example, most of the hotly discussed issues go into the following categories: the pricing of commercial apartments, the income gap between urban and rural residents, the treatment of migrant workers and the education fees of children. All of these topics are discussed by many residents.

But there could be more insightful investigations into more people's daily lives, so that the proposals better represent all opinions. As reported, 750 CPPCC members went to all corners of China to investigate the problems that have emerged in social and economic sectors.

The annual sessions of the NPC and the CPPCC are not only a forum for China's top legislators, but also the platform where people's opinions meet. People resort to various means to make their opinions known to members and deputies. In this way, information is exchanged efficiently.

When interviewed by a reporter with Xinhua News Agency, some people hoped that the two sessions of NPC and CPPCC would help them achieve their goals, such as cheaper goods, more job opportunities and less coal mine blasts. These remarks are actually where deputies draw inspiration from for their proposals.

In addition, the media's active participation has given the deputies more exposure to public opinion. To help people communicate more effectively with them, many media have set up Internet forums and telephone lines for people to voice their ideas.

However, only when key laws are really determined by public opinion can the NPC and CPPCC better realize their aspirations.

Nanfang Weekend: The annual sessions of the NPC and the CPPCC have come with due fanfare and many new proposals that might drastically change Chinese' lives.

The most striking change has revealed itself in the education sector. A larger proportion of public education cash will be diverted to people from lower groups on the social ladder. This change will help to extend equality in education in the long run. It is the government's legal obligation to finance public education.

In the past, the Chinese Government did too little to fulfill this obligation: only 3 per cent of the GDP was invested in education each year, too low to meet the country's set standard and the world's average standard. A recent online survey shows that most people think more cash should go to education.

The economic sector will also see great changes. Recently China's State Council passed key policies on encouraging, supporting and guiding the development of the non-public or private economy. Systematic barriers that denied easy market access of non-public capital will be eliminated, and some favourable policies are being made to ensure private companies have an equal footing with State-owned enterprises.

The policy will reshape China's market economy and make it fairer. However, we cannot deny its negative impacts.

The most overwhelming social change is in the safety arena. China is desperately trying to develop economically but this development must never be achieved at the cost of human life. Hopefully, NPC deputies will enact laws to ensure sufficient funds are invested to protect workers.

The call for China's peaceful reunification has also been heard in this year's NPC and CPPCC sessions. The draft anti-secession law has been submitted for discussion and approval by the NPC. The draft law is an embodiment of China's expressed sincerity in peaceful reunification of the motherland and a counter-measure against Taiwan separatism.

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