Community chief spreads CPC spirit

Yang Bin has been busy these days. In addition to attending meetings, she visits households in her community to convey the content and spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which concluded in Beijing in October.

Yang, who is Party secretary and director of the Maosheng community in the Xiangzhou district of Zhuhai, Guangdong province, served as a deputy to the congress. She heard the work report in person, so she is truly attuned to the message.

"The report mentioned working to promote long-term prosperity and stability in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, continuing to develop the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, supporting Hong Kong and Macao in integrating into China's overall development and helping the GBA play a greater role in realizing national rejuvenation," she said. "As a front-line community worker, I am very excited and encouraged."

She added that the same goes for her colleagues. Everyone is full of enthusiasm, she said.

Located at the mouth of the Pearl River, Maosheng is separated from Macao by a wall. The community has a permanent population of 2,736 people from 1,176 households. Of those, 1,275 residents from 425 households are residents of Hong Kong or Macao — more than 36 percent of the total.

"I will help every household feel the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and help Hong Kong and Macao residents better understand our motherland and identify more with the CPC and country. I want to help build the Maosheng community into a vivid window showcasing the cooperation and development of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao," Yang said.

Yang has promoted a consultative governing conference, with 14 of its 45 members being Hong Kong and Macao residents.

"We work together to solve the problems related to residents' livelihoods, including curbing pollution in the local river and creating more jobs," she said.

Huang Jumei, a Maosheng community worker, said the community's volunteer service center — jointly built with Hong Kong and Macao organizations — has attracted many local residents in recent months.

"The atmosphere of building a beautiful and green home together is improving among residents from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao," Huang said.

Wu Yuxuan, a resident, said the consultative conference has played a major role in community governance.

"Earlier this year, we worked together to discuss how to stop polluting the community's Yachong River, and in less than a week we came up with a governance plan, effectively promoting the solution of people's livelihoods," he said.

Yu Shijia, another community worker, said grassroots democracy is an important aspect of whole-process democracy, and the community's consultative system will certainly play a greater role in promoting more democracy in the future.

After months of effort, the water quality in the river has greatly improved, the environment has become better and eldercare services have become more considerate in Maosheng, Yu said.

Tang Xuting contributed to this story.