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NPC's information transparency demonstrates China's progress in democracy
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-03-03 17:07 An online news center has
been opened for the first time for the annual sessions of China's legislature
and national advisory body at the website of the National People's Congress
(NPC).
The Fourth Session of the Tenth Chinese People's Political Consultative
Conference (CPPCC) opened on Friday afternoon, while the Fourth Session of the
Tenth NPC begins on March 5.
TV media will be allowed to do more live broadcasts on the plenary sessions
of the NPC this year. More press conferences will be arranged and more meetings
of the NPC delegations will be opened to journalists.
"It's obvious that we have more channels to get information about the
sessions this year, especially from the online news center," said a reporter
with Bloomberg News Bureau.
"We can get lots of important information from the online news center, which
is every convenient to us," he said.
"More live TV broadcasts of the plenary sessions of the NPC and more meetings
of the NPC delegations being opened to media will give us more chances to see
the real situation of Chinese lawmakers participating in the deliberation and
administration of state affairs," said a reporter with the Singapore's Straits
Times newspaper.
Seven press conferences will be held during this year's NPC session. Besides
the news conferences for the session spokesman, China's foreign minister and
premier, there will also be press conferences for the National Development and
Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the
Ministry of Agriculture.
In addition, there will be a joint press conference for the NDRC, the
Ministry of Land Resources and the State Environmental Protection
Administration, according to an official from the general office of the NPC
Standing Committee.
In previous years, the information on the proposals of the NPC delegates
would not be released until the deadline of submission. However, the number and
focuses of the proposals will be made public almost immediately this year, said
the official.
Fu Yonglin, an NPC deputy and professor at the Southwest College of Foreign
Languages, said the NPC and CPPCC sessions have become more transparent and open
to the public, a sign of progress in Chinese legislation.
Public opinion was solicited regarding the draft of the property law in 2005.
More than 11,500 pieces of advice on the law have been received by the NPC
Standing Committee, which has held discussions on it four times.
Because of the hot debate, the draft of the property law was not passed by
the NPC Standing Committee in 2005 as scheduled, and more discussions on it will
continue this year.
"Property law is of great importance to China's market economy and legal
system. The debates on it will help perfect the law. It is the certain trend of
the progress of democracy," said Fu.
Public opinion and debate also affected the Chinese legislature 's decision
to raise the cutoff point of the monthly personal income tax from the 800 yuan
to 1,600 yuan (1 U.S. dollar equals approximately 8.1 yuan) in 2005.
"The information transparency on NPC sessions will help improve public
participation in legislation. We have more expectations of the annual sessions
of the NPC and CPPCC and the development of democracy," Fu
added.
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