To live is to learn

By Wu Jiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-03-13 07:07

"No NPC deputy is omniscient. Instead, we have to keep learning, given the rapid social development of the present times."

These are the words of advise from Mao Fengmei, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) from a village in Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Most NPC deputies at the ongoing annual session share Mao's views. The fast changing economic and social environment is a challenge to their decision-making and supervision capacity, they say. In fact, the NPC (the country's top legislature) has set up special liaison offices in 31 provinces and regions since last year to organize regular research and training programs for the deputies.

Last year 1,874 deputies joined the research projects, and 400 attended five training sessions on environment protection, new socialist countryside and innovation.

NPC Standing Committee Vice-Chairman Sheng Huaren says the project has kept the deputies well informed about key social issues and helped them improve the quality of their motions. A total of 183 research reports by deputies that contain details and solutions to problems were submitted to the NPC Standing Committee last year.

What's more, the deputies have worked out sound motions based on those reports.

NPC deputy from Shanghai Li Kuinan says the liaison offices and training sessions no longer require deputies to work separately on an issue, and instead help them to work in a team and come up with thorough and deeper analyses.

"Collective work has helped me understand social issues better," says Li, who is also a senior reporter and a member of China Democratic League.

"I see a sharp difference between those deputies who have undergone training and who have not. And I hope the practise of organized research and training programs can be consolidated and extended to all the regions this year," Li says.

(China Daily 03/13/2007 page8)