People's congress system a proven cornerstone of Chinese democracy

Deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) pose for photos in front of the Great Hall of the People after attending the second plenary meeting of the second session of the 14th NPC in Beijing, capital of China, March 8, 2024. [Xinhua/Wang Yuguo]

BEIJING -- Zhou Hongyu, who had served as a national lawmaker for 20 years, saw many of his 200-plus proposals adopted and implemented. Among these proposals was free compulsory education in all urban and rural areas in China.

Such input in shaping national policies and laws is made possible by China's foundational political system -- the system of people's congresses.

This system, established in 1954, has evolved over 70 years into a more functional and efficient institution, underpinning China's rapid economic development and long-term stability.

Observers note that the political order existing in China stands in stark contrast with the political disorder found in the West, as it integrates the diverse interests of over 1.4 billion people into national decision-making, governance and oversight, ensuring that power remains with the people through China's unique democratic practices.

REPRESENTATION: FROM 8:1 TO 1:1

Zhou, a professor in the field of education, was elected as a deputy to China's National People's Congress (NPC) in 2002. In 2003, after conducting research in rural schools, he proposed a fully free compulsory education system for rural areas, outlining its necessity and a detailed implementation plan.

During his first decade as an NPC deputy, Zhou submitted numerous proposals, primarily focusing on education, including free vocational education, schooling for migrant children, and school bus safety, with around 70 percent of his suggestions adopted.

By 2012, China had extended free compulsory education nationwide.

Zhou attributes his success to passion, perseverance, rationality, a people-centered perspective and his professional expertise. "Unlike full-time Western lawmakers, China's part-time NPC deputies are deeply connected to their fields, offering authentic insights into key issues."

In September 1954, the first session of the first NPC convened, marking the formal establishment of China's people's congress system. The system features a multi-tiered structure, with the NPC at the top and congresses at provincial, municipal, county and township levels. Deputies are elected at each level every five years to represent the people's interests.

Of the 2.77 million deputies in service now, 94.7 percent are from the county and township levels, and they are elected on a one-person-one-vote basis. China's election of people's congress deputies, the world's largest democratic election involves over a billion voters.

The election system has evolved over the decades, moving from an 8:1 rural-to-urban population ratio in 1953 to equal representation in 2010.

Women and grassroots workers, including migrant workers, are increasingly represented in the NPC. In 2007, a minimum threshold of 22-percent women deputies was introduced and the proportion exceeded 26 percent in 2023. The number of migrant worker deputies had grown from three in 2008 to 56 in 2023.

"Chinese democracy is not a formality, nor a 'one-time' show. Deputies to various levels of people's congresses are accountable to the public," said Zhang Shuhua, head of the Institute of Political Science, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

LEGISLATION: FROM "EXIST OR NOT" TO "GOOD OR NOT"

In Weidong Village, Guangdong Province, accessible facilities like ramps, toilet handrails and blind-friendly pathways can be easily found, largely due to suggestions from Wu Tengxin, a village shopkeeper with leg disability. His proposal to enhance barrier-free facilities in rural areas was incorporated into a national law governing the development of barrier-free environments.

At the entrances to multiple special schools in Shanghai, new devices with crossing prompts have been installed to help students safely navigate the pedestrian crossings. This initiative stemmed from a teacher's contribution during a legislative consultation meeting last year, with the teacher suggesting the standardizing of crossing prompt sounds and Braille available on traffic signal facilities near special schools.

Over the past 70 years, China's legislation has shifted from addressing basic and urgent needs to creating a more holistic legal system that includes laws catering to the specific needs of disadvantaged groups.

As China's highest state organ of power, the NPC and its Standing Committee exercise legislative authority.

On July 1, 1979, the second session of the fifth NPC adopted seven laws, including the criminal law and the law on Chinese-foreign equity joint ventures, putting the country back on the track of effective legislation. Over the next 30-plus years, China developed a socialist legal system with unique characteristics.

China has since accelerated its legislative processes and enhanced the quality of its laws, most notably with the enactment of its inaugural Civil Code in 2020. In 2024, a significant milestone is expected with the development of an environmental code.

This year, the top legislature plans to advance this environmental code, integrating and revising existing laws and regulations pertaining to the environment. The aim is the creation of a high-quality draft for deliberation by year-end, reflecting the theories, systems and practices of ecological civilization.

China has more than 300 laws in effect, 35 of which specifically address environmental issues, making the compilation of the environmental code a mature endeavor.

A key reform resolution adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee in July has set clear guidelines for legislative reforms, specifying key objectives including the formulation of laws to support private sector development, finance, ethnic solidarity and progress, and combating transnational corruption, alongside amendments to existing oversight laws.

"The focus of these reforms is on the effectiveness and quality of legislation, not merely its existence," said Shen Chunyao, director of the top legislature's Legislative Affairs Commission. He compared this pursuit to leading an Olympic race, where higher standards and greater responsibilities are paramount.

To enhance national development and support major reforms, Shen underlines better alignment between legislative decision-making and reform efforts to ensure that the rule of law facilitates development and innovation across all sectors.

POOLING WISDOM: FROM STOOLS TO GREAT HALL

Every Saturday morning, residents in Mengyuan Community in the eastern Chinese city of Jining gather around Wu Hansen, a local district people's congress deputy, for their weekly "meeting on stools."

"A streetlight is out." "Some residents walk their dogs without leashes." "Cooking fumes of a restaurant often seep into residential buildings." Seated on stools, they discuss pressing community issues such as these.

Wu records these concerns and promptly advocates for solutions, often inviting local authorities, including police, law enforcers, community workers and property managers to join in discussing more complex matters. Over the past year, more than 140 issues have been resolved through these meetings.

This grassroots initiative exemplifies how China's people's congresses engage with the public. Across the country, residents voice concerns to deputies through various platforms, ranging from in-person gatherings like those in tea-houses and under banyan trees to online forums.

As an important institutional vehicle for realizing whole-process people's democracy, people's congresses provide platforms for the people to amplify their voices and participate in decision-making processes concerning both everyday matters and state affairs.

At the national level, thousands of NPC deputies meet every year at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to review laws, shape development plans, and oversee the country's administrative, supervisory, adjudicatory and procuratorial organs.

On this platform of China's highest state power, key laws like the Civil Code and the Foreign Investment Law were introduced.

Over the past decade, the creation and expansion of legislation outreach offices have brought ordinary people closer to the top legislature.

Iranian trader Hamid Dehghani, operating a company in the bustling city of Yiwu in eastern China, has been actively engaged in the legislative process of the country, contributing suggestions for law drafts alongside other foreign residents.

During a community meeting held by a legislation outreach initiative, he suggested that restaurants should provide free packaging services to their customers, when discussing the draft law on combating food wastage.

"I find it incredible that they allow foreigners to give suggestions on a Chinese law draft," Hamid said. "Chinese democracy is highly authentic. Even the smallest voices are heard and conveyed to the top legislative body."

Since 2015, outreach offices have expanded nationwide, reaching out from major cities to remote areas, snow-covered plateaus, and ethnic communities, allowing individuals, including foreign residents like Hamid, to contribute to law drafts.

Currently, China has 45 national and over 7,300 provincial and municipal outreach offices, while more than 3,200 ideas collected via national legislation outreach have been incorporated into over 180 law drafts and revisions.

Proposals from NPC deputies and national advisors at last year's annual sessions have led to in excess of 2,000 government policies, such as recruiting more graduates in rural health centers and building electric vehicle charging stations.

The Chinese people value the effectiveness of democracy more than the form it takes, believing true democracy leads to good governance.

According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, China has the highest trust index among all surveyed countries.

Stephen Perry, president emeritus of Britain's 48 Group Club, noted that China has a sound system for hearing and responding to its people, calling it simpler than what is prevalent in the West.

"The people's congress system provides a convenient channel for the public to participate in decision-making on public affairs, ensuring that the people are the masters of their own country," said lawyer Fang Yan, an NPC deputy. 

The views don't necessarily reflect those of Qiushi Journal.