The opinions of ordinary people will be heard more clearly at
the annual sessions of China's top legislature and political
advisory body, according to political science experts.
With the public's huge concern over issues close to their daily
lives, topics relating to people's livelihoods are expected to be
highlighted by about 5,000 participants at the meetings.
The latest media surveys show that people want the deputies to
the National People's Congress (NPC)
and members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative
Conference's (CPPCC)
National Committee also to focus more heavily on the anti-graft war
and government reforms.
The second session of the 10th CPPCC National Committee and the
10th NPC open today and Friday, respectively, in Beijing.
The public is showing its greatest interest ever in what topics
might be discussed at the two sessions, according to separate
online surveys conducted by the Xinhua and the People's
Daily.
Hundreds of thousands of netizens took part in the polls, which
sought topics of most concern to the public.
Raising farmers' incomes, cutting education costs, improving
employment opportunities and establishing a sound social security
network were common themes.
Other key topics include enhancing food and drug safety,
reducing production accidents and protecting the legitimate
interests of both urbanites and migrant farmers, as well as
strengthening public security.
Xin Ming, a researcher with the Party School of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party of China, predicted that the two
annual sessions of the NPC and the CPPCC's National Committee will
give more attention to the welfare of ordinary people.
"An encouraging sign is that topics concerning the fundamental
interests of the public dominated the discussions of almost all
provincial people's congresses around the country in late
February," he told China Daily.
The researcher said the move indicated a growing popularity of
the scientific concept of people-centered development, which has
been proposed by the new generation of Chinese leadership under
President Hu Jintao.
The new concept features humanistic governance and the principle
of focusing on the people, which means centering efforts on the
interests of citizens in order to meet their various demands and
achieve all-around development.
"Caring for the people is sure to propel lawmakers and political
advisers to come up with more practical and concrete policies to
address their concerns," Xin said.
As a signal of the positive change, the government work report
to be delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao to the NPC will place an
unprecedented emphasis on the well-being of citizens during the
process of economic development, sources revealed.
Yu Jiancheng, a taxi driver in Beijing, expressed his hope for a
down-to-earth work style among participants at the two annual
sessions.
"We understand that the NPC deputies and CPPCC National
Committee members need to discuss state affairs and other
significant issues," he said.
"But it's equally important for them to base their discussions
on how to promote the interests of the people."
Yu said he was most concerned about narrowing the widening gap
between the rich and the poor, adding that urgent measures are
needed to tackle the worsening problem.
Concern for people's livelihoods, however, does not prevent the
Chinese public from being enthusiastic about political issues.
There is a strong call for the country to step up the battle
against corruption, adjust government functions to economic changes
and speed up judicial reforms.
The problem of corruption, which is believed to be the No. 1
factor undermining social stability, remains the top public concern
this year.
About 84 percent of respondents to the Xinhua survey say
anti-corruption efforts should be given top priority.
"All reforms will suffer if corruption is not eliminated," an
anonymous respondent to the People's Daily online survey
commented.
The pervasive worry exists despite the determination of the CPC
and the Chinese government to curb corruption.
In 2003, a total of 13 ministerial and provincial-level
officials were punished for graft and bribery. One of them was
sentenced to death.
They included former Hebei Province Party Secretary Cheng
Weigao, former Land and Resources Minister Tian Fengshan and former
Anhui Vice Governor Wang Huaizhong.
To fight more effectively against corruption, the public is
pinning high hopes on NPC deputies and CPPCC National Committee
members to help push ahead with government and judicial reforms to
safeguard social and legal justice.
Professor Yang Haikun, vice chairman of the Administrative Law
Society of China, went further, saying the public aspiration for a
clean, truly streamlined and highly efficient government entails
deepening reforms.
"More effort is needed to adapt the role of an
administration-oriented government to a society calling for a
service-oriented government, following the country's entry to the
World Trade Organization,'' the professor said.
Apart from streamlining efforts, the ongoing reforms of
government institutions should focus more on improving government
functions and administrative methods, Yang said.
(People's Daily March 3, 2004)