Xi: Criticism, advice should all be heard

Being open to CPPCC's differing voices can assist govt in making right decisions, he says

Being open to advice and criticism from the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top political advisory body, can help the central government make the right decisions and ensure that the country's development stays on the right track, experts said on Sunday, following a speech on Friday by President Xi Jinping.

Xi called for giving full play to the system of democratic centralism, promoting expression and exchanges of differing ideas and opinions and improving the mechanism to ensure consultation - both before and during the decision-making process.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark in Beijing at the Central Conference on CPPCC Work, which marked the 70th anniversary of the consultative body.

Zhu Lijia, a professor of public administration at the National Academy of Governance, said: "China has entered an era in which an increasing number of social problems and conflicts have surfaced because of its fast development. So receiving advice from other political parties, people without party affiliation, people's organizations and all ethnic groups and all walks of life is important. They can use their expertise to see solutions to problems from a different angle, not just the Party's."

Such advice - and even criticism - is crucial in ensuring that China's development stays on the right path, Zhu added.

Xi said at the conference that being open to advice and criticism, and making improvements in the work, show confidence and capability. As long as different parties of the CPPCC uphold the fundamental theory, path and strategy of the Party, they should be encouraged to speak their opinions, even harshly and fiercely at times, he said, adding that the Party should be delighted to hear criticism and correct mistakes if there are any, as well as to guard against introducing errors.

Fan Peng, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Political Sciences, said, "Socialist consultative democracy allows the central government to respect the diversity of Chinese society as it promotes exchanges between different political parties and all walks of life.

"More important, it encourages people to offer their advice on the key tasks of the Party and the country, so people with different backgrounds can be on the same page when it comes to China's development path," Fan said.

Xi said at the conference that the CPPCC needs to guide its members from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions to support the law-based administration of the SARs' governments and chief executives.

Zhu, the public administration professor, said such support is important for Hong Kong, even when there is no conflict.

"CPPCC members can do more to unite the Hong Kong people to fully implement the 'one country, two systems' policy," Zhu said.

CPPCC member Samuel Yung Wing-ki of Hong Kong said on Sunday that it's necessary to strengthen the patriotism that reflects love of both the country and the city. That's the way to maintain the SAR's prosperity and stability in the long run, Yung said.

To achieve that, he encouraged CPPCC members from the region to extensively engage people from various backgrounds, especially young people, and brief them about the nation's latest developments and the opportunities made possible by major national strategies. This will buttress people's national identity as well as their recognition of the country, he said.

Yung said it is also important for CPPCC members to support the SAR government's law-based administration. That is a basic requirement, he said.

Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, a Hong Kong and Macao affairs think tank, said that Hong Kong's recent social unrest shows that patriotism needs to be enhanced and expanded in society. Hong Kong members of the CPPCC should play a greater role in the region's political arena and serve as the bridge between the Chinese mainland and the region, he said.

Lau added that CPPCC members should do more policy research targeting the deep-seated social issues in Hong Kong to relieve internal rifts and tensions in the city.