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E-mail China.org.cn, March 10, 2024
Huang Shouhong:
The "down-to-earth" aspect of this year's report is reflected in the fact that it accurately reflects the pulse of society, fully represents the aspirations and concerns of the people, and responds to the concerns of all stakeholders, especially those at the grassroots level, the general public and businesses. All the policies and measures are practical, aligned with the needs of the people, and beneficial to businesses. How has this been achieved? By extensively listening to opinions. Extensive consultation is not unique to this year's report; it is a cornerstone of the Party's approach to developing important documents and policies. This aligns with the principle of "from the people and to the people " — the "mass line" leadership and work method of the CPC. General Secretary Xi Jinping has made clear requirements for policy and document formulation, emphasizing the importance of transparent decision-making and collective wisdom. The general secretary embodies this principle through his own actions. For instance, in preparation for last year's Central Economic Work Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a series of symposiums to gather opinions. He also undertook research visits to various locations on many occasions. As shown on TV and in news reports, the general secretary has actively engaged with people at all levels, visiting factories, workshops and farms to talk with local officials and ordinary people, hearing their opinions and suggestions. The general secretary's commitment to listening to the voices of the people, understanding their needs and learning about their living standards serves as a benchmark for us all. The major decisions made by the CPC Central Committee are a culmination of this very principle — gathering diverse perspectives to make informed decisions. It is even more important to openly seek advice and pool wisdom to ensure the standard of the draft report and implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee.
Huang Shouhong:
During the drafting and revising of the government work report, Premier Li Qiang visited grassroots communities for many occasions, and heard opinions and suggestions from representatives of all walks of life at three symposiums, including one attended by experts in various fields, businesspeople , and representatives from sectors such as education, research, culture, and health; and one attended by leaders of non-CPC political parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and representatives of persons without party affiliation. He also presided over a symposium to listen to the opinions and suggestions of local officials at provincial, municipal, county and township levels on the draft government work report. Other leaders of the State Council also listened to opinions and suggestions through a range of methods.
During the drafting process, the report's drafting team was open to the opinions and suggestions of local authorities and government departments as well as those from all sectors of society. The draft report was based on the opinions and suggestions on the work that were put forward by local authorities and government departments. After the draft report was finished, it was printed and distributed to all localities, government departments and units to solicit opinions. This year, more than 4,000 copies were handed out, from which more than 1,100 pieces of feedback were sorted through. All sectors of society paid great attention to the drafting of the government work report and put forward a large number of suggestions through various methods. Many news media, online platforms, Weibo, forums and so on, collected netizens' opinions. For example, this year, the gov.cn website teamed up with 29 online media platforms to launch @State Council, Share Your Views on 2024 China's Government Work Report campaign. As of yesterday, more than 1.6 million comments have been received from netizens, an increase of 82% over last year. The gov.cn website selected 1,150 representative suggestions and forwarded them to the drafting team. After preliminary sorting, a large stack of opinions and suggestions was forwarded to us each time with very detailed content, including reasons and suggestions. Some netizens even provided a feasibility analysis and timelines for the introduction of their suggested policies. This was very thoughtful. The netizens who left comments included both young and old, male and female. The oldest one was 82 years old and the youngest was 12 years old. Some netizens praised the practice of extensive listening to opinions on the draft work report. One of them commented: "Asking the people for their needs and suggestions makes the government work report more down-to-earth, well-grounded and engaging."
During the solicitation campaign, we also received suggestions from netizens from more than 40 countries, including investors, economists, teachers and doctors. They provided opinions and suggestions on topics such as investing and starting businesses in China, visa processing, and travel and shopping in China, among others. This year, the number of participating foreign netizens and the countries they come from increased significantly compared with previous years. This also reflects the fact that more and more people around the world are interested in China. They are optimistic about China's future, and are willing to cooperate with China and walk side by side with the Chinese people.
Overall, a large number of people made suggestions for this year's government work report. A total of 1.6 million people made suggestions on the gov.cn website alone, and millions more participated through other media-organized events. As such, the number of participants is huge and they represent all different occupations and age groups.
Approximately 10,000 people directly participated in the revision of the government work report. This includes the more than 4,000 relevant local and department officials mentioned earlier, as well as deputies to the people's congresses, members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and other relevant individuals.
