China's 2017 Two Sessions (NPC & CPPCC): News and Analyses

[TaiShang]

Two Sessions in photos
(CNTV) 13:26, March 04, 2017


One of the journalists was seen equipped with multi-channel new media devices, drawing attention from many. (Photo/CGTN)


The Fifth Session of the 12th CPPCC has opened in Beijing (Photo/CGTN)

Take a glance at how the annual sessions of China's top legislature and advisory body look like. (Photo/CGTN)

 

[TaiShang]

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Teenage journalists interview CPPCC members
(People's Daily Online) 17:21, March 03, 2017




A delegation of young journalists from Hebei province interviewed several CPPCC members on March 3. The journalists are all teenagers who believe that the Two Sessions meetings are an ideal opportunity to practice their skills and broaden their perspectives.

Du Wanying, a participant from Bolinzhuang Elementary School in Shijiazhuang, Heibei province, told People’s Daily Online that the special activity has enriched her knowledge. She also noted that this is her third time taking part in Two Sessions news coverage as a member of the young journalist delegation.

The delegation, known as Heqing Young Journalists, was first organized in 2009 by Heibei Youth News. It was intended to improve the ability of teens to communicate, cooperate, innovate and reflect.

The fifth session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, started its annual session on March 3 in Beijing.

 

[TaiShang]

 

[JSCh]

Key projected targets for development in 2017 written in gov't work report
(Xinhua) 13:20, March 05, 2017

Graphics shows key projected targets for development in 2017 written in the government work report at the 2017 annual session of China's National People's Congress. (Xinhua/Ma Yan)

 

[TaiShang]

***

Backgrounder

• What are the functions of the NPC?
• The NPC is the highest institution through which the Chinese people can exercise their State power.

• How are NPC deputies elected?
• The NPC deputies are members of the highest organ of state power in China and are elected in accordance with law.

• What's the difference between NPC motions and CPPCC proposals?
• The difference lies in that as the NPC is the country's top legislature, an NPC motion becomes legally binding when it is adopted; while a proposal to the CPPCC National Committee, the top advisory body, is not legally binding whether it is adopted or not.

 

[ahojunk]

Hot topics of the government work report by Premier Li
(CRI Online) 15:08, March 05, 2017

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a government work report during the opening meeting of the fifth session of China's 12th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua]

The fifth session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) opened at the Great Hall of the People on Sunday in Beijing. During the meeting, Premier Li Keqiang delivered a report on the government work.

The following are the hot topics of the report:

Slashing the tax burden of businesses

The trial replacement of business tax with value added tax (VAT) was extended to cover all sectors in 2016, slashing the tax burden of businesses for the year by over 570 billion yuan and reducing tax burdens in every sector.

This year’s deficit-to-GDP ratio is projected to be 3 percent, with the fiscal deficit set at 2.38 trillion yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 200 billion yuan. To break this down, the projected deficit of the central government is 1.55 trillion yuan, and the projected deficit of local governments is 830 billion yuan. Local government special bonds to be issued will total 800 billion yuan, and local government bonds will continue to be issued to replace their outstanding debt. The main reason for keeping this year’s deficit-to-GDP ratio unchanged is to allow for further reductions in taxes and fees. Over the course of the year, the tax burden on businesses will be further eased by around 350 billion yuan, and business related fees will be further cut by around 200 billion yuan to benefit market entities.

Cutting overcapacity

Particular priority was given to cutting overcapacity in the steel and coal sectors last year. Over the year, steel production capacity was cut by more than 65 million metric tons and coal by over 290 million metric tons, going beyond annual targets. Effective assistance was provided to laid-off employees.

This year, the government will further reduce steel production capacity by around 50 million metric tons and shut down at least 150 million metric tons of coal production facilities. At the same time, the government will suspend or postpone construction on or eliminate no less than 50 million kilowatts of coal-fired power generation capacity, in order to guard against and defuse the risks of overcapacity in coal-fired power, improve the efficiency of this sector, and make room for clean energy to develop.

Urbanization

We sped up efforts to promote new types of urbanization in 2016, deepened reform of the household registration system, introduced the residence card system nationwide, and granted urban residency to another 16 million people from rural areas.

The government will deepen the reform of the household registration system. This year, at least 13 million new urban residents will be registered as permanent urban residents. The government will speed up work to introduce the urban residence card system nationwide.

Poverty reduction and elimination

Poor areas and people living in poverty represent the area of greatest weakness we must face as we work to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. We need to do more in implementing targeted poverty reduction and elimination measures. This year the government will further reduce the number of rural residents living in poverty by over 10 million, including 3.4 million to be relocated from inhospitable areas. Central government funding for poverty alleviation will be increased by over 30 percent.

Supporting the real economy

The M2 money supply and aggregate financing are forecasted to grow by around 12 percent in 2017. The government will apply a full range of monetary policy instruments, maintain basic stability in liquidity, see that market interest rates remain at an appropriate level, and improve the transmission mechanism of monetary policy. The government will encourage a greater flow of financial resources into the real economy, particularly in support of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, and small and micro businesses. The RMB exchange rate will be further liberalized, and the currency’s stable position in the global monetary system will be maintained.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure became ever-better able to sustain development in 2016. Over 1,900 kilometers of new high-speed rail lines came into service, and more than 6,700 kilometers of expressways and 290,000 kilometers of rural roads were built or upgraded. Construction picked up pace on urban rail transit facilities and underground utility tunnels. Construction began on 21 major water conservancy projects. The number of 4G mobile communications subscribers grew by 340 million and over 5.5 million kilometers of optical fiber cables were added.

This year, the government will invest 800 billion yuan in railway construction and 1.8 trillion yuan in highway and waterway projects. Construction on another 15 major water conservancy projects will begin; and work on major rail transport, civil aviation, and telecommunications infrastructure projects will be sped up. A total of 507.6 billion yuan of investment has been included in the central government budget this year.

The government will step up the development of public facilities in rural areas. A total of 200,000 kilometers of roads will be upgraded or built in rural areas. The government will see that all rural areas have a steady and reliable supply of power and that all electric pumpsets on rural flatlands are connected. Fiber-optic broadband will be extended to 30,000 administrative villages.

National defense

Last year, we achieved major breakthroughs in the reform of national defense and the armed forces and made fresh progress and new achievements in our work to make the military more revolutionary, modern, and well-structured.
This year, in pursuing the Party’s goal of strengthening the armed forces in a new era, the government will work to build them through political work, strengthen them through reform, and ensure they are run by law. The government will boost military training and preparedness, so as to ensure that the sovereignty, security, and development interests of China are resolutely and effectively safeguarded.

The government will uphold the Party’s absolute leadership over the armed forces and uphold and implement the system whereby the Chairman of the Central Military Commission assumes overall responsibility over military affairs.

The government will continue to deepen reforms in national defense and the armed forces. The government will strengthen maritime and air defense as well as border control and ensure that important operations related to countering terrorism, safeguarding stability, international peacekeeping, and providing escort in high seas are well organized.

The government will enhance our capacity for innovation in defense-related science and technology and step up the development of advanced logistics and equipment. The government will strengthen national defense mobilization and readiness of reserve forces. The government will continue to promote coordinated, balanced, and compatible development of the economy and national defense, deepen structural reform of defense-related science and technology industries, and intensify military-civilian integration.

Economic globalization

Economic globalization is in the fundamental interests of all countries. China will not shift in its commitment to promoting global economic cooperation, will uphold the multilateral trading regime as the main channel of international trade, and will play an active part in multilateral trade negotiations. China is ready to join hands with the other countries involved to fully put into force and implement the Protocol to Amend the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation between China and ASEAN, to conclude talks as soon as possible for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, and to advance the development of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific. The government will continue to negotiate investment and trade agreements with relevant countries and regions.

China is a responsible country. We have always striven to honor the commitments we have made, and the government will firmly defend our due rights and interests.

Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan

The government will continue to implement, both to the letter and in spirit, the principle of “one country, two systems,” under which the people of Hong Kong govern Hong Kong, the people of Macao govern Macao, and both regions enjoy a high degree of autonomy. The government will continue to act in strict compliance with China’s Constitution and the basic laws of the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions; and the government will ensure that the principle of “one country, two systems” is steadfastly applied in Hong Kong and Macao without being bent or distorted.

We pledge our full support to the chief executives and governments of the two regions in exercising law-based governance, growing their economies, improving people’s wellbeing, advancing democracy, and promoting social harmony. The notion of Hong Kong independence will lead nowhere.

The government will promote closer cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao. The government will draw up a plan for the development of a city cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, give full play to the distinctive strengths of Hong Kong and Macao, and elevate their positions and roles in China’s economic development and opening up. We have always had full confidence about ensuring lasting prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao.

The government will thoroughly implement the policies on our work related to Taiwan, uphold the one-China principle, and safeguard the 1992 Consensus as our common political foundation. The government will protect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, maintain the peaceful growth of cross-Straits relations, and safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits. The government will resolutely oppose and contain separatist activities for Taiwan independence. The government will never tolerate any activity, in any form or name, which attempts to separate Taiwan from the motherland.

The government will continue to advance integrated economic and social development between the two sides of the Straits, and make it more convenient for our fellow countrymen and women in Taiwan, particularly young people, to study, work, and live on the mainland. People on both sides of the Taiwan Straits should keep in mind the greater interests of the nation, firmly advance peaceful reunification of China, and jointly create better lives and a bright future for all Chinese.

 

[TaiShang]

The government will continue to advance integrated economic and social development between the two sides of the Straits, and make it more convenient for our fellow countrymen and women in Taiwan, particularly young people, to study, work, and live on the mainland. People on both sides of the Taiwan Straits should keep in mind the greater interests of the nation, firmly advance peaceful reunification of China, and jointly create better lives and a bright future for all Chinese.

 

[Dungeness]

Two Sessions in photos
(CNTV) 13:26, March 04, 2017


One of the journalists was seen equipped with multi-channel new media devices, drawing attention from many. (Photo/CGTN)


The Fifth Session of the 12th CPPCC has opened in Beijing (Photo/CGTN)

Take a glance at how the annual sessions of China's top legislature and advisory body look like. (Photo/CGTN)

"Democracy with Chinese characteristics" on display!!!

 

[ahojunk]

Graphics: Profile of China's National People's Congress
(Xinhua) 13:12, March 05, 2017

 

[TaiShang]

"Democracy with Chinese characteristics" on display!!!

Last year's Two Sessions, a total 5000 proposal were made. 4000 passed the procedural screening. 100% were debated on the floor. 20% has been accepted. This makes about 1000 proposals. Not bad, I guess when compared to, say, House of Representatives legislation track.

***

 

[ahojunk]

China eyes sustained economic growth through reforms
(Xinhua) 13:22, March 05, 2017

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday pledged to continue reforms to attain the economic growth target of about 6.5 percent this year despite challenges ahead.

The annual government work report, delivered by Li at the opening meeting of the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, set the GDP growth target at around 6.5 percent, or higher if possible in practice.

The target, which Li said is "realistic and in keeping with economic principles," is the lowest for more than 20 years for China. Nonetheless, China remains one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

The target will help steer and steady expectations and make structural adjustments as well as help achieve the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020, Li said while delivering the report at the session, the first since Xi Jinping was endorsed as the core of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee last October.

Li called for uniting more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Xi as the core and working hard to fulfill development targets.

2017 is of crucial importance for the country as the CPC will convene its 19th National Congress in the second half of the year to elect a new leadership for the next five years during which Xi's vision of a well-off society will be achieved.

Nearly 3,000 NPC deputies listened to Li's report at the meeting chaired by Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, along with Xi and other leaders.


GROWTH TARGET ACHIEVABLE

Li also announced that in 2017, China will keep its CPI increase at around 3 percent, and create more than 11 million urban jobs with a registered urban unemployment rate within 4.5 percent.

The country will also reduce its energy consumption per unit of GDP by at least 3.4 percent.

"An important reason for stressing the need to maintain stable growth is to ensure employment and improve people's lives," Li said.

Last year, China's GDP reached 74.4 trillion yuan (10.8 trillion U.S. dollars), a 6.7-percent growth, outpacing most other economies and contributing more than 30 percent of global growth.

Despite challenges, China created 13.14 million urban jobs and increased per capita disposable income by 6.3 percent. About 12.4 million people shook off poverty.

Noting that China must be ready to face more complicated and graver situations including sluggish world economic growth and growing trend of protectionism, Li expressed his confidence that difficulties will be overcome as the country has a solid material foundation, abundant human resources, a huge market, and a complete system of industries.

National lawmaker Zhang Zhao'an called the target "reasonable, pragmatic and reachable."

"You have to take into account the large base figure of China's economic aggregates. The moderate adjustment of the target signals a greater focus on the quality and returns of economic growth," said Zhang, vice president of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.


SUPPLY-SIDE STRUCTURAL REFORM

Supply-side structural reform will be given priority in China's development, Li said.

According to the report, efforts will center on a variety of areas,including streamlining administration, reducing taxes, further expanding market access, and reducing ineffective supply while expanding effective supply.

Comparing the reform as "the struggle from chrysalis to butterfly," Li said China must press forward with courage and get the job done.

"China's endeavors to deepen reforms, improve government efficiency and encourage innovation and entrepreneurship have had positive impacts on the economic sector," Zhang Zhao'an said.

To be specific, China will further reduce steel production capacity by around 50 million metric tons and coal capacity by at least 150 million metric tons this year, the report said.

It also highlighted cutting excess urban real estate inventory, bringing down the leverage of enterprises, reducing costs for enterprises and strengthen areas of weakness including poverty eradication.

China will pursue a more proactive and effective fiscal policy. It has set its government fiscal deficit this year at 2.38 trillion yuan, or 3 percent of its GDP, an increase of 200 billion yuan over last year.

It plans to invest 800 billion yuan in railway construction and 1.8 trillion yuan in highway and waterway projects, and begin construction on another 15 major water conservation projects.

This year, the government aims to reduce the number of rural residents living in poverty by over 10 million, including 3.4 million to be relocated from inhospitable areas. Central government funding for poverty alleviation will be increased by over 30 percent.

Meanwhile, the report said, transforming and upgrading the real economy through innovation will be another focus of work.

"China's population dividends are declining, but its institutional dividends are increasing," Zhang said.


GLOBALIZATION

Despite an increase in anti-globalization sentiment and attempts to reverse the trend, LiKeqiang reassured that China opposes protectionism in its different forms, and will work toward a deeper and higher level of opening up.

Li's remarks echoed President Xi Jinping's January speech during the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, in which Xi said pursuing protectionism is like "locking oneself in a dark room."

In this spirit, Li said, China will push ahead with the Belt and Road Initiative, for example, by accelerating the building of overland economic corridors and maritime cooperation hubs, and deepening international industrial-capacity cooperation.

The initiative, proposed by China in 2013 with the aim of connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes, has yielded infrastructure projects of all sorts, economic and trade cooperation zones, and jobs.

China will also make big moves to improve the environment for foreign investors, including making service industries, manufacturing, and mining more open to foreign investment, encouraging foreign-invested firms to be listed and issue bonds in China, and allowing them to take part in national science and technology projects, according to the report.


SOVEREIGNTY AND SECURITY

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and 18th anniversary of Macao's return.

"We will continue to implement, both to the letter and in spirit, the principle of 'one country, two systems,'" Li said, stressing the principle will be steadfastly applied in Hong Kong and Macao without being bent or distorted.

The notion of "Hong Kong independence" will lead nowhere, he warned.

He also voiced opposition against and resolution to contain separatist activities for "Taiwan independence."

"We will never tolerate any activity, in any form or name, which attempts to separate Taiwan from the motherland," Li said.

In addition, China will continue to deepen reforms in national defense and the armed forces.

It will strengthen its maritime and air defense as well as border control amid efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and security, according to the report.

"We will boost military training and preparedness, so as to ensure that the sovereignty, security, and development interests of China are resolutely and effectively safeguarded," Li said.

 

[JSCh]

Feature: Bring their mothers back
Source: Xinhua 2017-03-06 15:05:49

GUIYANG, March 6 (Xinhua) -- When rape flowers begin to blossom in the rugged fields of southwest China, people know it is time to depart. Young fathers and mothers leave home to find jobs, putting toddlers and teenagers into the hands of elderly grandparents.

For the past decades, spring always brought hope along with a sense of the inescapable sorrow of separation for people at Dazhai village, Bijie county, Guizhou Province. The village has over 2,200 people, mostly of the Miao ethnicity, and the most common way to escape poverty is to find jobs elsewhere.

Cai Qun, a 36-year-old mother, repeatedly experinced such departures before emerging as a creative embroidery artist and becoming a successful entrepreneur. She is also among the 2,800-strong deputies of the 12th National People's Congress, now gathering for the most important political meeting of the year in Beijing.

Cai wants to bring more congressional and public attention to the fate of China's "left-behind children."

"A child needs a mother. Stop the mothers from leaving and bring them back," she said.

Cai's hometown, Bijie, a poor city in Guizhou of southwest China, has witnessed the brutal damage poverty and absence of parental care can do.

In 2012, five street children in Bijie died from carbon monoxide poisoning when burning charcoal for warmth, in a roadside dumpster. In 2015, four left-behind children aged 5 to 13, from one family, died after drinking pesticide at home.

There are about 260,000 left-behind children in Bijie. Nationwide, China has more than 60 million children in rural areas who are left with relatives, usually grandparents. These children are easy victims of tragedies such as murder, trafficking and suicide.

"I hope there will be more incentives, like loans to small business who can offer jobs to mothers in their hometowns," Cai said. "When mothers do not have to leave, there are fewer left-behind children."

FROM WASTE-PICKER TO LAWMAKER

Cai's childhood was mostly about fighting hunger, the reason she left hometown. Cai's mother, now 87, gave birth to 13 babies, of which six survived, with Cai Qun the youngest. She has four older sisters and a brother.

Her parents grew corn and sweet potatoes on a small piece of land. "We did not have a paddy field, so it was very difficult to feed us. My mother always had to borrow food from neighbors," she said.

At the age of 12, Cai followed her sisters to provincial capital Guiyang to make a living collecting garbage.

"We picked food, cakes and vegetables to eat. We picked plastic bottles to sell. I was most happy when I got an empty Maotai bottle -- it could sell for five yuan and got us a nice meal," she said.

Like most girls in her village, Cai married early. She gave birth to her daughter Yang Linfeng at the age of 16.

"My oldest sister took care of Linfeng when I was away. For my daughter, my sister was more of a mother than me. I was like a relative she saw only once a year," she said.

As Linfeng grew up, Cai and her husband Yang Zeyou sought jobs in the trade and manufacturing hubs of Yiwu and Shenzhen, where shoe, backpack, clothing and electronics factories gather.

"I worried most when Linfeng got sick. Once she had a high fever and breathing difficulties. My sister cooked pork heart with cinnabar to treat her, and it took her a long time for her to recover. I wanted to go home, but the factory did not allow any leave in that period. It pained me like a needle stabbing into my heart," Cai said.

Cai made up for her absence by making hand-embroidered dresses for her daughter. She sewed as many auspicious patterns on her dresses as possible.

Her daughter Linfeng, 20, got married in January, wearing her mother's hand-sewn dress. She is a nurse in the city hospital.

Almost every woman in her village knows embroidery, but Cai is probably more talented and skilled. She does not have to uses rulers or compasses to draw the patterns. She has the parameters in her mind.

In 2007, Cai joined a provincial folk art competition and won a prize for her wax painting.

"The competition was an eye-opener. My husband and I made up our minds to open a workshop at home," she said.

Cai expanded her house into a factory and founded a company under her own name. In 2013, Cai was elected to the national legislature for her efforts in preserving ethnic craftsmanship and success in creating jobs for women.

MOTHERS SHOULD STAY

Cai's embroidery products are popular at a karst cave tourist destination about 2 kilometers from her home. Last year, the shop's turnover was 8 million yuan (about 1.15 million U.S. dollars).

She employs about 300 women, and half of them used to be migrant workers. "The older women are more skilled, but I'm persuading more young women to come and work for me," Cai said. "When there are many orders, women come to work at her shop, but they can also work at home if necessary."

"In our village, many women have more than one kid. When their mothers are away, I saw brothers taking younger ones and running around in the field without people to look after their safety. Their childhood shouldn't be like that, without a mother," she said.

At her shop, one woman straps a baby on her back while she draws on the paper using wax.

"Wax painting and embroidery are mainly the hands' job. A baby on the back hardly affects anything for a Miao woman," Cai said.

Yang Zhongmei, a 29-year-old mother, joined the workshop in 2015. Before, she worked at an electronics factory in Shenzhen. She earns about 3,000 yuan (about 434 U.S. dollars) every month, a few hundred less than what she earned in Shenzhen.

"My older boy is in third grade, and my girl is in kindergarten. My son, in particular, is happy to see me back," Yang said.

"When I was young, my mother would sing when she sat down, resting from a day's work, sewing by candlelight. It is hard to forget the scene. I hope embroidery can change the lives of more Miao women, like it did for mine," Cai said.

 

[TaiShang]

 

[JSCh]

Xinhua Insight: Cultural protection enhanced for small ethnic minorities

Source: Xinhua | 2017-03-07 15:51:13 | Editor: huaxia
by Xinhua writers Wang Xiaopeng and Wang Jun

BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- "I am proud my home village has preserved its traditional style," said Tashi Yangjen, the only deputy to the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) from the Luoba ethnic group.

Luoba is one of the smallest ethnic minorities in China.

Tashi Yangjen, 36, grew up in a mountainous Luoba village in Shannan prefecture in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, though the prefecture was officially reclassified as a city in 2016.

As an NPC deputy, the first suggestion Tashi Yangjen submitted to the NPC session in 2013 was on retaining the traditional design of Luoba homes, which are usually thatched with straw.

She was worried that the outlook of the village would change as the government revamped and rebuilt village homes, mostly built with stone, wood and straw.

Her proposal was a success. In May 2014, the government approved a plan to preserve the Luoba village.

Now there are 23 new homes built with reinforced concrete in the village that look almost the same as traditional Luoba homes. Their roofs are not covered by straw, but metal that resembles straw.

Tashi Yangjen's suggestions as an NPC deputy were not just about housing. She also proposed that Luoba culture be protected, including language and clothing, as well as improved infrastructure.

Things are getting better for Luoba people. There is a sewage treatment service in her home village, in addition to a garbage disposal facility.

A small factory for making Luoba costume is being built. Upon completion, about five Luoba people will work there making souvenirs and Luoba dresses, which usually feature red, black or white stripes. Together with traditional dress, Luoba women often wear accessories, including long necklaces and headwear made of blue beads.

The Luoba ethnic group has no written language.

"The spoken language of the Luoba is also protected, as traditional words are collected and Luoba children are able to learn them from preschool education," Tashi Yangjen told Xinhua during the ongoing annual session of the 12th NPC.

Tashi Yangjen's suggestions also include improving the subsidies offered to residents living in border regions. This year she plans to submit a proposal to build more public facilities, including small parks where people can get together for events.

"The people's congresses are good because deputies' motions and suggestions are responded to," she said, adding the system is sound because it entitles ethnic minorities, however small, to have at least one NPC deputy.

PART-TIME LAWMAKER

NPC deputies are part-time, and a deputy to the NPC can be the country's president or a farmer, a celebrated tycoon or a migrant worker, a lawyer or an official.

Tashi Yangjen was born into a poor family of wheat and barley farmers, and is currently a township official in the Tibetan city.

She was educated in a Tibetan school in Changzhou city in eastern Jiangsu Province and a college in Yueyang city in central Hunan Province, before becoming a primary school teacher in 2004.

The government has been sending students from Tibet to study at high schools in inland cities since 1985 in the hopes of training more professionals for the underdeveloped plateau region and boosting Tibet's development.

Currently about 20,000 students from the region are studying in high schools in inland regions, including Beijing, Shanghai and Jiangsu. The free education has enabled hard-working Tibetan children to attend school, even if their families are poor.

Tibet has a huge task to relieve 690,000 people out of poverty between 2016 and 2020.

During the five years starting 2011, Tibet lifted more than 600,000 people from poverty.

Tashi Yangjen said she was happy that all the residents in her home village were lifted out poverty last year.

BETTER FUTURE

There are 56 ethnic groups in China, with Han people representing the bulk of population. Each ethnic minority is entitled to have at least one deputy to the NPC, and Tashi Yangjen is one of about 400 ethnic minority deputies to the 12th NPC.

These deputies are active in protecting their traditional culture, in addition to making submissions on other issues, including national development.

Padma Chodron, the only NPC deputy of the Menba ethnic group, has a similar educational experience to Tashi Yangjen. Padma Chodron is a township official in Medog County in Nyingchi City of Tibet, and has been focusing on the cultural protection of the Menba, which also has a small population.

She submitted a suggestion to the NPC session last year, calling for a county-level institution to protect and develop the ethnic minority language.

"Our Menba people only have a spoken language," she said. "If no one speaks the language, many of the traditions of the ethnic group will inevitably disappear."

To her delight, in 2016 the local government organized a team to record the customs, legends and ballads of the ethnic group as well as the memories of folk artists.

Observers believe the future of the smaller ethnic groups looks bright either in cultural protection or living standards, as the government attaches greater importance to their development.

According to the government work report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang at the NPC session on Sunday, the government will increase support for development in areas inhabited mainly by ethnic minorities.

"We will protect and develop the fine traditional culture of ethnic minorities and support the growth of ethnic groups with smaller populations," Li said.

 

[JSCh]

China Focus: Grassroots presence growing at NPC
Source: Xinhua 2017-03-07 21:27:33

BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Yu Chun, 50, retired from her job as a bus driver in east China's Hangzhou City last month, but it hasn't been all rest and relaxation.

Yu is in Beijing as a deputy to the 12th National People's Congress (NPC). Every year in March, national leaders, government officials, workers, farmers, professionals and soldiers gather under the same roof to discuss state affairs. NPC deputies come from all walks of life, and Yu is one of the growing number of deputies representing the "grassroots."

Of the nearly 3,000 deputies of the 12th NPC, about 14 percent were workers and farmers, up more than 5 percentage points from the 11th NPC. The number of professionals and technicians also rose by more than 1 percentage point.

Party and government cadres accounted for about 35 percent of the deputies, down nearly 7 percentage points.

GRAVE RESPONSIBILITY

Yu drove a bus for 21 years, covering enough distance to circle the equator nearly 20 times. Over the past four years, she has submitted transit-related bills on everything from pollution caused by e-bus battery packs to the industry's shortage of professionals.

According to China's electoral law, the quota of deputies to be distributed according to the size of population shall follow that one deputy represents about 670,000 people in rural or urban areas.

The NPC Standing Committee reserves, however, some deputy seats to ensure that each and every of China's 56 ethnic groups can have at least one seat at the NPC, no matter how small its population is.

"I represent several hundreds of thousands of voters back home. Thinking about it puts a grave responsibility on me," Yu said.

Last year, she and some other deputies were invited to the Ministry of Transport, where they were briefed about the legislative development of public transit.

"My suggestions were taken care of and real progress was made," she said.

During the NPC, deputies propose bills and suggestions as well as review and vote on important legal documents and personnel changes, including the election of top national leaders every five years.

COMMON GOAL

Xie Liying is one of China's 270 million migrant workers. She is also an NPC deputy.

In 2014, she submitted a suggestion calling for inter-provincial medical care for migrant workers. By the end of that year, the central government had introduced a guidance addressing the issue, which made her "very proud."

"I am not representing myself alone. Behind me there are so many fellow workers supporting and counting on me," Xie said. This year, she brought with her suggestions about housing, welfare and education for migrants.

China still has more than 40 million people waiting to be lifted out of poverty. No matter how NPC deputies describe their identity or social status, their common goal is to make the Chinese people happy.

"The deputies elected under the framework of the people's congress system are obligated to serve the people. They listen to the people and speak up for them. This is democracy with Chinese characteristics," Yu said.