This undated photo shows the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (PHOTO / VCG)
The two sessions, China’s biggest annual political event, are an embodiment of whole-process people’s democracy. Through them, the people’s voices are heard by policymakers.
Every year since 2013, during the annual session of the National People’s Congress, the nation’s top legislature, and the annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the nation’s top advisory body, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has had discussions with grassroots-level lawmakers and political advisers from across the country, and listens to them and asks for their suggestions on the country’s development.
As a result, the two sessions have become a strong bond linking the Chinese leader and people at the grassroots level, and the suggestions made by lawmakers and political advisers have been translated into concrete measures to bolster the nation’s growth and improve people’s well-being
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As a result, the two sessions have become a strong bond linking the Chinese leader and people at the grassroots level, and the suggestions made by lawmakers and political advisers have been translated into concrete measures to bolster the nation’s growth and improve people’s well-being.
When Yuan Yuyu, an NPC deputy from Guangdong province, attended the first session of the 13th NPC in Beijing in March 2018, he had an opportunity to talk with Xi, who is also Chinese president and the chairman of Central Military Commission, and made suggestions to him about legislation on technological innovation.
Xi attached great importance to Yuan’s suggestions. He said: “Development is the top priority, talent is the primary resource and innovation is the primary driving force. China will not truly get stronger if it fails to pursue an innovation-driven development path and facilitate the transformation of old growth drivers into new ones.”
Recalling that face-to-face conversation with Xi at the Great Hall of the People five years ago, Yuan, chairman of Medprin Regenerative Medical Technologies in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, said he was greatly encouraged by Xi’s words. “He gave great attention to innovation and talent, which are crucially important to enterprises,” he said.
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In response to Yuan’s suggestion, the National Development and Reform Commission and other related ministries under the State Council jointly worked out specific policies to advance technological innovation in key fields, developed a series of projects to overcome difficulties in core technologies and built a number of industrial innovation centers.
They also formulated policies to underpin the pillar role of enterprises in strengthening scientific and technological innovation and worked out systemic measures to support enterprises in promoting innovation.
“My suggestion was adopted. Over the past years, the nation has attached greater importance to innovation, unveiling a great number of policies and measures to promote innovation,” Yuan said. “As an NPC deputy and an overseas-educated Chinese returning to start up a business, I feel upbeat about the future.
caodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn