Consultation and partnership
Updated: 2012-09-04 09:10
By Peng Yining (China Daily)
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Relevant expertise
Political consultancy work requires a deep understanding of conditions in the relevant fields, which is why most of those who participate in the political process are high-level intellectuals, said Chen.
Taking the China National Democratic Construction Association as an example, Chen said the recruitment of members is strict. Applicants need to be proposed by at least two current members and face a wait of at least six months to see if they have gained admission.
"Most CNDCA members are well-educated, accomplished business executives," she said. "We need people who have the ability to solve major problems."
Wang Ranye, 85, joined the China Association for Promoting Democracy in the 1980s. As an expert on Kunqu Opera, one of China's most ancient art forms, Wang proposed a plan to reverse its decline in the 1990s.
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Wang Ranye, a member of the China Association for Promoting Democracy and an expert on Kunqu Opera, proposed a plan to reverse the decline of the ancient art form in the 1990s. Qi Zhenlin / for China Daily |
"With the help of professionals, the administrators are able to do their work better and more effectively," he said.
China's eight non-communist parties have more than 700,000 members in total, dotted around both urban and rural areas and drawn from a variety of ethnic groups. As a result, their opinions have a wide geographical spread and address issues from all walks of life.
"I report every problem I find, including broken lamps in the library," said China Democratic League member Lei Pingtian, 76, a retired college teacher from Chongqing. "For the government, there are always some blind spots that could affect people's lives, and our job is to help fill in those blanks."
Although the process of political consultancy has worked well so far, the system could also be improved to be relevant to modern times, according to Zhang.
To provide a higher degree of practical advice, the public should have greater access to information, including the process of governmental decision-making, he said.
"Let us know more about what's going on and we will be able to provide more help."
Contact the writer at pengyining@chinadaily.com.cn
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Q & A | Yan Junqi Q: Please tell us about your experiences of meetings held by the Communist Party of China, but featuring non-communist representatives.
A: Meetings with non-communist politicians are one of the main forms of political consultation in China, and an important factor in helping the CPC make the right decisions. The meetings allow non-communist parties to participate in State affairs. During the past five years, President Hu has hosted five or six sessions with non-communist representatives annually, discussing major issues nationwide. We are happy that attention has been paid to our advice, and that our suggestions have been acted upon. That helps us to fulfill our duty as a party that participates in affairs of State. Describe your experiences as leader of the CAPD and your work at the National People's Congress. Since graduating from college in 1967, I have been an engineer, college teacher and government official. Now I am president of the CAPD and the vice-chair of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Before I joined the CAPD in 1998, I lived an academic life at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and thought scientific research and teaching would be my career. But I joined the municipal government in 2000 and later became deputy mayor of Shanghai. The switch from academic to politician wasn't easy, but I realized that my new career bears witness to the CPC's great expectations of intellectuals. I'm glad that I participated in Shanghai's development and helped to make significant decisions. Becoming the president of the CAPD in 2007 was another challenge. It requires a greater sense of politics and leadership, but also enables me to contribute to the process of political consultation. My work at the NPC is mainly about legislation and supervision. There is always a packed agenda at the Standing Committee of the NPC meetings, held every two months. I have led inspections into law enforcement, including the laws on protection of relics, women's rights and the rights of senior citizens. I have also led NPC delegations on overseas visits and hosted receptions for high-ranking foreign politicians. Please tell us more about the CAPD and its goals and principles? Founded in Shanghai on Dec 30, 1945, the China Association for Promoting Democracy is mainly composed of senior and medium-level intellectuals in the fields of education, culture, publishing and other professional sectors. It now has a membership of 127,000. The party's name reflects its main principle, which is the development of the spirit of democracy, and the promotion of democratic policies in the country. In recent years, the CAPD has paid attention to the development of the culture industry, and education and publishing. It has also conducted a lot of in-depth research into major issues concerning the democratic process in China and has proposed policies to foster the country's economic development. Yan Junqi was talking to Peng Yining. |
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