China's NPC: A chamber for debate
(cri.com)
Updated: 2004-03-07 11:15

A report in British newspaper, The Guardian, says as members of the National People's Congress assemble for their annual session, China's parliament is increasingly becoming a chamber for progressive debate and activism.

The author believes that by voicing concerns about lagging farm incomes, rising unemployment, corruption and other issues of the day, delegates give the ruling Communist Party a crucial window into what's going on in China's far-flung regions - and thus help ensure social stability.

The report says that in past years, the NPC has highlighted the need for more money in China's western hinterland, a debate that led to China's billion-dollar campaign to build more dams, airports and rail lines in western regions.