Quality key for CPPCC proposals

2017-02-22
China Daily

Quality should take precedence over quantity when it comes to proposals from members of China’s top political advisory body, officials said on Feb 21.

The total number of proposals from the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference has increased rapidly in the past two decades, according to Tian Jie, deputy head of the subcommittee for handling proposals.

“Back in 1993, when the first session of the 8th National Committee of the CPPCC was held, about 2,000 proposals were raised by members,” he said. “The number climbed to 5,000 in 2008 and has remained steady at around 6,000 since 2013.”

Led by the Communist Party of China, the CPPCC includes representatives from other political parties, mass organizations and people from different social circles.

The fifth session of the 12th National Committee of the CPPCC will start on March 3. It is part of the annual “two sessions” during the month, which also includes the National People’s Congress, the highest organ of State power.

During the CPPCC session, about 300 group proposals from central committees of other political parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce are expected to be submitted.

Tian said the subcommittee has called for an increase in the number of group proposals－joint efforts from members that are submitted only after strict screening.

“In 2013, around 7 percent of proposals were raised by groups. Last year, it was 9.48 percent,” he added.

Xi Yanchun, a spokeswoman for the State Council Information Office, said on Feb 7 that State Council departments had acted on 90.9 percent of members’ proposals that came out of the National Committee of the CPPCC during last year’s two sessions.

Members’ proposals attract a lot of public attention and many suggestions are used by government agencies, according to Sun Gan, chief of the subcommittee for handling proposals of the CPPCC National Committee.

One good example is proposals to combat violence against hospitals and doctors, he said. In 2014, a proposal jointly raised by 89 CPPCC members called for regulations on public order at hospitals because of the growing amount of violence targeting doctors and other medical staff.

Sun said the Ministry of Public Security, National Health and Family Planning Commission and other authorities jointly released a document and set up police offices at major hospitals.

“So far, more than 85 percent of hospitals have police offices,” he added. “In 2016, the criminal cases at hospitals decreased by 14.1 percent, which represented a two-digit decrease three years in a row.”