Zhou Houjian, board chairman of the Hisense Group, one of China's major electric appliance producers, suggested the government should expand the scale of selling home appliances at a discount in rural areas as farmers could greatly benefit from it, companies gain more markets and the economy be stimulated.

Representatives from the education, science and technology, culture, health and sports sectors contributed suggestions on improving the quality of college education, the development of vocational and rural education, the reform of the health sector, and the development of the entertainment industry, among others.

Thirteen "grassroots" representatives - some of them farmers, migrant workers, college graduates, doctors and teachers - also made proposals on house construction and orphan care in quake zones, farming technologies promotion, transferring of migrant workers' insurance when they shift jobs and transformation of college graduates' employment concept.

The second session of the 11th National People's Congress and the second session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) are to be convened on March 5 and March 3 respectively in Beijing.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2009)