Legislative outreach office in Jianghai telling Chinese democracy story to the world

Updated: 2023-10-12

The Standing Committee of the Jianghai District People's Congress has built a bridge between grassroots people and the national legislature, promoting the whole-process people's democracy, integrating democracy and the rule of law into people's daily life, and telling the world the story of Chinese democracy, since it was designated as a local legislative outreach office by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee in July, 2020.

To date, Jianghai outreach office in Jiangmen city, South China's Guangdong province, has completed the solicitation of opinions on 63 draft laws and has submitted 1,316 legislative suggestions, of which 132 have been adopted. It has also solicited 433 views on 25 laws that have been reviewed and passed, with 92 of them adopted.

In 2022, the Jianghai outreach office conducted a survey in Weidong village to solicit opinions from special groups of people who are in need of accessible facilities on the draft barrier-free law. Wu Tengxin, a 50-year-old polio victim, proposed to optimize rural accessibility facilities to facilitate the travel of people with physical disabilities like him. His legislation ideas were later embodied in the Law on Building Barrier-free Living Environment, which went into effect on Sept 1, 2023.

On April 26, Sun Zhenping, director of the office of the NPC Legislative Affairs Commission, paid a visited to Wu during a survey in Guangdong, and expressed full recognition and sincere greetings for Wu's active participation in the legal consultation activity. Wu is running a small convenience store, with support from the village committee.

Sun affirmed the innovative practice of Jianghai outreach office in connecting with and fully reflecting the demands of the people in Guangdong and overseas Chinese in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. "I hope the Jianghai outreach office will become a solid bridge to reflect the grassroots social situation and public opinions to the national legislative organs, and also an important window to tell the story of the Chinese democracy and legislation to the world," said Sun.

Yu Zhijian, director of the NPC Jianghai district standing committee said that the committee will collaborate with relevant departments to promote the implementation of the barrier-free Law, and at the meantime, advance legal education among the public in the process of soliciting legislative opinions. "We will continue to build a good outreach office to  convey people's thoughts and expectations," he added.

Jianghai district outreach office has so far established contacts with 59 local units, including street offices, district departments, village committees and chambers of commerce, forming an opinion collection network that roots in Jianghai and radiates to nearby cities and the Greater Bay Area. The outreach office has also promoted exchanges of working methods, experiences and share their stories with NPC committees at all levels and outreach offices in neighboring provinces.

Early this year, 21 participants of a seminar for English speaking parliamentarians from eight African countries visited the Jianghai outreach office, to hear about its stories in practicing Chinese democracy, becoming the first batch of foreign guests since its establishment.

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