Political advisors use innovative methods to improve efficiency

Online conferences and a new mobile APP have become trending among China's political advisors, known as members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Established just before the founding of People's Republic of China, the 70-year-old CPPCC insists keeping pace with the times and pursuing efficiency to offer advices on State issues.

"You have new messages."

After being informed, Professor Shi Yigong, President of Westlake University, opens a mobile application developed by the CPPCC for its members and begins to read proposals from other advisors on his way to work.

Shi Yigong, a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), receives an interview on livestream at China Plus with China Media Group ahead of the opening of the second session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee in Beijing, March 1, 2019. [Photo: China Plus/Chen Fei]

Shi Yigong is among those who now use his mobile phone to take part in video conferences from his office.

"That is very amazing. Through a special app we have video conferences. We can also have audio conferences and we have web-based communication all the time. You actually can participate in a session through very active discussion with other members of CPPCC. I've participated in at least three of such discussions for example, on how to make the environment greener, on how to make delivery services faster and more efficient, etc. Some topics that are really keen to the society, to every citizen’s routine life and you get to hear what other people have to say on this topic and you can voice your opinion immediately. And it's lively," says Shi Yigong.

Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), presides over the first CPPCC online conference in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 24, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua]

Speaking with his fellow CPPCC members, Shi Yigong has pressed the concept of the environmentally-responsible development of the express delivery industry. He is among over 200 members putting forward suggestions via the mobile platforms on this topic. And he also watched his 15 fellow members who made speeches in the video conference call from various parts of China, including Beijing, Jiangsu, Fujian and Sichuan.

To utilize the technology, a new mobile app has been introduced among all members of the country's top political advisory body, giving them access to their colleagues at any time, and virtually anywhere.

Guo Weimin, spokesman of the second session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attends a press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 2, 2019. The CPPCC National Committee held a press conference on Saturday afternoon, one day ahead of its annual session. [Photo: Xinhua]

"It increases the sense of responsibility and participation of the members in national political affairs. If a major issue is being discussed online, don't you want to participate? You will definitely want to make proposals. The members, representing different sectors, discuss things together via the APP, giving them a voice and an opportunity to reply to one another. Members of our organization are scattered around the country. But with this new technology, consultative democracy is always available to us," says CPPCC spokesperson Guo Weimin.

Since being launched in August of last year, CPPCC members have taken part in 16 different online roundtables involving some 14-hundred members. The result has been 106 proposals for Chinese political advisors on 10 separate issues.

Liu Wenxian, a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) from Chongqing, attends a group discussion held in Beijing on March 6, 2019. [Photo: China Plus/Chi Huiguang]

Liu Wenxian, a CPPCC National Committee member, took part in an online meeting last month to discuss how to improve the overall voice of the CPPCC. He took part in the meeting from Chongqing.

"One of the proposals I made during the conference call was to try to encourage my other CPPCC members to pay more attention to the quality of our proposals, rather than quantity. I got mostly positive replies. I'm happy with the improvement."

Li Zhengguo, a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) from Chengdu, Sichuan Province attends a group discussion held in Beijing on March 6, 2019. [Photo: China Plus/Chi Huiguang]

Li Zhengguo is a CPPCC member from Sichuan's capital, Chengdu. He was part of an online conference presided over by Wang Yang, chair of the CPPCC National Committee. He says the new online format is great for advisors such as himself, who is not from Beijing.

"It's a better way for advisors from outside Beijing, especially professionals who have limited time, to join in the discussions. In the past, members from outside of Beijing used to have few opportunities to join the debates. Our online chats are expanding the scope of the consultations," says Li Zhengguo.

Members scan the QR code to download political consultation APP on their mobile phones in Ningxia in January, 2019. [Photo: nxzx.gov.cn]

The CPPCC National Committee is made up of over 2-thousand members. They include government officials, entrepreneurs, military officers, members of non-Communist parties, individuals without party affiliation, experts and scholars.

CPPCC members come from China's various walks of life and ethnic groups. In practice, they serve as advisors for the government as well as the legislative and judicial organs, and put forward proposals on major political and social issues.

The current session of the CPPCC National Committee is set to wrap up on Wednesday.