People Focused
As China’s annual political season gets underway, hopes are high that more issues that affect people’s lives are raised, contemplated and addressed.
Every March, the country’s top lawmakers and political advisers gather in Beijing for their annual meetings, popularly known as the Two Sessions. This year, they are officially known as the Second Session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC), which opened on March 5, and the Second Session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), taking place between March 3 and 13.
Part of the reason why the Two Sessions are so important for resolving public concerns is that participants represent a broad spectrum of opinions. The NPC, the highest organ of state power whose functions include electing the president, making laws and supervising the government, consists of deputies from China’s provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, special administrative regions and armed forces. The CPPCC National Committee is composed of members from the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) and non-communist parties alike, as well as those from different sectors of society ranging from science and technology to the press. CPPCC National Committee members are free to offer their suggestions on government policies. Through these institutions, Chinese people participate in and contribute to national policymaking.
As China has evolved into a middleincome country and disparities remain, demands are becoming increasingly diversified. It is imperative that intensive deliberations should be carried out before decisions are taken. At the Two Sessions, participants review the government’s work in the past year and make recommendations for it to act upon. Heated debate is common. Through candid discussions, a consensus is pooled and workable solutions are reached.
It is the Chinese Government’s belief that the ultimate purpose of economic development is to deliver benefits to the country’s more than 1.3 billion people. Their aspirations for a better life are what motivates the government to improve its services. Poverty alleviation, a social safety net, education and welfare programs have been at the top of the Two Sessions’ agenda in recent years.
The government is poised to respond to calls from the public. It incorporated a number of life-saving but costly anticancer drugs into the medical insurance reimbursement list last year, lessening the financial burden of patients. It is also taking measures to ensure that senior citizens are taken good care of, at their own homes or in nursing homes. Moreover, China is well on its way to eradicating poverty across the country by 2020.
While China’s economic growth targets and global footprint may be more relevant to international observers, initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods domestically are also worthy of attention. They offer a perspective to understand the CPC’S people-centered approach to development. They also put the country’s unremitting efforts to sustain high-quality, robust growth into context.