President Xi Jinping has said that China's democracy has enriched the theory and practice of democracy in the world, while urging constant efforts to uphold, improve and run the system of people's congresses effectively to develop whole-process people's democracy.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the statement on Saturday while delivering an important speech at a meeting to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress in Beijing.
The NPC is China's highest organ of State power. The first session of the first NPC was held in September 1954. People exercise State power through the NPC, the country's top legislature, and local people's congresses at different levels, ensuring their interests and will are reflected in the decision-making process.
Xi said the establishment of this system marked a profound transformation in China's political landscape, signifying a shift from a system where the power was concentrated in the hands of a few while the majority faced oppression and exploitation, to one that empowers the people to govern the country as its masters under the Party's leadership. He noted that the system of people's congresses is an important institutional vehicle for realizing whole-process people's democracy in China.
The system is conducive to safeguarding the people's exercise of democratic elections, consultations, decision-making, management, and supervision according to law, managing state affairs, economic and cultural undertakings, and social affairs through various means and forms in accordance with the law, he added.
Xi said that it has effectively overcome the phenomenon in some countries where the people have formal but not actual power, and where there are endless promises made during elections followed by no accountability afterwards.
Noting that democracy is a common value of humanity, Xi emphasized that the great achievements made by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC in developing people's democracy have contributed Chinese wisdom and solutions to global democracy.
Recalling the past 70 years, Xi said that the system of people's congresses has provided an important institutional guarantee for creating miracles of fast economic growth and long-term social stability.
He called for continuous efforts to better uphold, improve and run the system to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Constitution, calling people's congresses at all levels to play their leading role in legislation, with more focus on key, emerging and foreign-related fields.
Efforts should also be increased by people's congresses in the oversight of both the Party and the country to ensure that all state organs exercise their power in accordance with the law and that the legitimate rights and interests of the people are safeguarded and realized, he said.
People's congresses should put the people first, maintaining close ties with the people and listening to their suggestions, he said, urging deputies to people's congresses, as the bridge between the people and the nation, to expand content and forms to connect with the people.
Huang Lixin, chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai People's Congress, said: "Whole-process people's democracy has improved the quality of people's life and also promoted the megacity governance.
"While giving strong support to the renovation of old urban areas and the protection of elderly and children through legislation, we've also beautified the environment by rule of law, and established stations to help residents participate in lawmaking," she added.
Lu Man, an NPC deputy from Jianhu county, Jiangsu province, was one of the deputies who practiced the system at grassroots level.
She worked with several other deputies to pool local crab retailers in a trading center after learning about the farmers' problem of high costs and low profits and seeking their ideas on village revitalization.
Since the center was opened last year, it has witnessed a total transaction volume of 6 billion yuan ($845.8 million), she said.
"I'll continue to keep close contact with the people as priority for timely response to public concerns and better solve their difficulties," she added.
