Why do Chinese leaders join discussions with legislators, political advisors

Senior Chinese leaders have participated in dozens of panel discussions with the country's legislators and political advisors in the past few days, demonstrating "democracy with Chinese characteristics" at the country's most important annual political event.

Seven members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, including general secretary Xi Jinping, have joined more than 30 delegations and sectors in discussions since the start of the "two sessions".

Panel discussions during the sessions offer an opportunity for senior leaders to listen to opinions of legislators and political advisors and express their own thoughts in a face-to-face manner.

While speaking with lawmakers from eastern Jiangxi Province on Friday, Xi, also Chinese president, asked the people to protect the environment as if they were "caring for one's own eyes and life".

"We are going to punish, with an iron hand, any violators who destroy ecology or environment, with no exceptions," he said.

When joining other panel discussions, Xi touched on issues such as cross-Strait ties, free trade zone strategy, poverty alleviation and revival of an old industrial base.

The leaders' participation in the discussions, as legislators themselves, are a characteristic of the Chinese-style democracy, scholars said.

That arrangement is viable in China because the country implements the people's congress system and a system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the CPC leadership, quite different from the Western-style system of multiple parties holding office in rotation or separation of powers, said Li Yuanqi, a scholar in law at Renmin University of China.

Annual economic goals and other major issues of national interests are discussed during plenary sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC), China' s top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body. The sessions of this year kicked off last week.

NPC deputies must keep in close touch with their voters, electoral units and the masses in order to voice their opinions and demands, according to Chinese laws.

Many leaders were elected as NPC deputies in regions where they once served in office. For example, Xi, who once was secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, is now a deputy in the Shanghai delegation.

Party and state leaders discussing significant issues of national and public interests with NPC deputies and CPPCC National Committee members show the seriousness of procedures in the country's political decision-making process, making it a good example of democracy with Chinese characteristics, said Yang Yongchun, deputy chief of the China Against Corruption Law Association, an academic group in law.

The leaders' discussions with legislators and political advisors during the sessions are part of China' s socialist consultative democracy, a democratic pattern in which, led by the CPC, all sections of society are consulted on major issues before and during policy-making processes.

Consultative democracy needs to be strengthened and used to expand people's participation in politics, help modernize state governance and resolve conflicts, according to a document published by the CPC Central Committee last month.

As a highlight of the leaders' participation in panel discussions, lawmakers and political advisors can raise suggestions on behalf of the grassroots in a candid way, thus expanding the communication channel for different demands to reach the leadership, said Zhan Zhongle, a professor in law at Peking University.

Moreover, such an arrangement makes "people see that the Party leaders value their contact with the masses and make efforts to practice socialist democracy" , helping foster solidarity and promote consultations in the country's political life, Yang said.

He observed increasingly extensive political participation at the "two sessions", which he said enhances social trust and improves the efficiency of democracy to keep the country on track to realize its development goals.

Gaesang Zhoigar, a political advisor from the remote Motuo County in southeastern Tibet and a Lhoba ethnic, still remembers how President Xi joined a panel discussion with her and other political advisors of the ethnic minority sector during last year's "two sessions".

Gaesang Zhoigar had never met senior Party leaders before and was cheered up by Xi' s remarks that all sorts of methods should be tried to accelerate economic and social development of the ethnic regions.

"After the two sessions, I passed the message to my people back home: we must achieve faster development, as even the general secretary said so!" she said. Endi