By Kong Ling

Making suggestions, criticisms and opinions on all aspects of work is the legal right of deputies to the people's congresses and an important way for them to perform their duties in accordance with the law. During the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), deputies made 9,160 suggestions focusing on the major decisions and plans of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the aspirations of the people. The Deputies Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, in coordination with relevant authorities, reviewed and analyzed these suggestions and forwarded them to 211 competent departments for handling. These suggestions, which encapsulate public wisdom and will, are being transformed into pragmatic measures to advance high-quality development.

A progressive course of institutional evolution

In 1954, the first session of the First NPC adopted the Constitution, marking the formal establishment of the people's congress system — the fundamental political system of the People's Republic of China. In the early years of the NPC, motions and suggestions submitted by deputies were collectively referred to as proposals. In 1982, the fifth session of the Fifth NPC adopted the Organic Law for the National People's Congress, which for the first time defined deputies' suggestions in legal terms. In 1992, the fifth session of the Seventh NPC adopted the Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels, which explicitly affirmed the right of deputies to put forward suggestions. In 2005, the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee approved in principle the Measures for the Handling of Suggestions, Criticisms and Opinions of the Deputies to the National People's Congress, establishing a systematic framework for handling deputies' suggestions.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the work related to deputies. During each NPC session, General Secretary Xi Jinping attends deliberation with delegations, listens to deputies' opinions and suggestions, and calls on relevant authorities to earnestly handle them. The NPC Standing Committee has thoroughly implemented Xi's important instructions and continuously improved relevant institutions and mechanisms. In 2018, the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee revised the Measures for the Handling of Suggestions, Criticisms and Opinions of the Deputies to the National People's Congress and included a chapter specifically addressing the handling of key suggestions. In 2023, the third session of the Standing Committee of the 14th NPC decided to establish the Deputies Affairs Commission and assigned it overall coordination responsibilities. In 2024, the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee determined the arrangements for the supervision over the handling of key suggestions. In 2025, the third session of the 14th NPC adopted amendments to the Law on Deputies to the National People’s Congress and to the Local People’s Congresses at Various Levels, further improving the suggestion-handling mechanism by institutionalizing procedures for transferring suggestions and reporting on their handling, and adding provisions on supervision over suggestion handling. These major institutional developments have laid a solid foundation for the high-quality development of work related to deputies’ suggestions and have made suggestions a vital channel for gathering public opinion and wisdom.

A well-structured process of suggestion handling

The handling of deputies' suggestions follows a tightly linked process that aligns policy-making more closely with public needs and helps transform the will and wisdom, appeals and aspirations of the people from written text into tangible outcomes.

Preliminary research and suggestion submission: From the fields to the Great Hall of the People. Suggestions originate from the grassroots. Every year, deputies conduct field research, inspections, symposiums and visits to hear public concerns and expectations. The Deputies Affairs Commission regularly briefs deputies on the work of relevant authorities and provides reference materials to smoothen communication before suggestions are submitted, enabling deputies to be well-informed and involved in governance, and ensuring that the submitted suggestions are the result of careful research and consideration.

Precise categorization and assignment: From 9,160 to 211. After suggestions are put forward, they go through procedures such as initial review, preliminary classification, batch classification and assignment. Organizations handling the suggestions meticulously study them and identify applicable laws and policies. For suggestions involving multiple departments, joint deliberation is required to ensure precise classification. On March 26, 2025, the suggestion assignment conference was convened, where the 9,160 suggestions were assigned to 211 organizations to handle, matching each suggestion with the appropriate "solution provider".

Whole-process communication and handling: From "paper exchanges" to "joint problem-solving." During the handling process, the suggestion-handling organizations adhere to the principles of pre-handling needs solicitation, in-process communication, and post-handling effectiveness evaluation. Through face-to-face discussions and side-by-side field research, they learn about the people’s concerns, build consensus, and solve problems. This effectively overcomes the shortcomings of one-way communication and replies that stay on paper.

Supervision and feedback: From "monitoring on paper" to "on-site oversight." According to the newly revised Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels, the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee designated the key suggestions that need supervision in handling, with special committees of the NPC being responsible for supervision and the Deputies Affairs Commission being responsible for daily follow-up. The terminology has evolved over time — from "key suggestions" in 2004, to "suggestions in need of special attention in handling" in 2005, to the briefly used "suggestions in need of special attention in processing" during the 12th NPC, and finally to today's "key suggestions in need of supervision in handling." These changes reflect the growth and refinement of the system and highlight the increasing effectiveness of suggestions in serving the overall development agenda and improving public wellbeing.

Enhanced services and management: Institutionalization and standardization of the handling process have further improved. The Deputies Affairs Commission has earnestly fulfilled its responsibilities as entrusted by the CPC Central Committee, fully exercises its coordination function, and monitors critical milestones. By holding assignment meetings, training sessions, progress-review meetings, and seminars, it enhances whole-process services and oversight to ensure all suggestion-handling organizations complete their tasks within statutory timeframes.

Analysis and application of outcomes: From "one suggestion" to "sector-wide impact." Through in-depth analysis and systematic research on issues of common concern among deputies and topics receiving widespread public attention, high-quality analysis reports are produced. These reports promote improvements not only in individual cases but across the entire sector, providing references for policy formulation and work planning.

A vision: Ensuring every public voice bears fruit

According to legal provisions, deputies' suggestions must be replied to within three months, or no later than six months, from the date of assignment. From submission to response, a suggestion needs not just written responses—it demands tangible action beyond paperwork. The response is not the goal, nor the end. The essence lies in turning deputies' suggestions into policy measures that improve governance and protect people's wellbeing. When suggestion handling resonates in unison with public expectations, the path of whole-process people's democracy will broaden with ever-greater vitality.

(The author is deputy director of the Deputies Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee.)