By Fu Wenjie

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has on multiple occasions urged closer contacts between State organs and deputies to people's congresses, as well as between the deputies and the people (two contacts). These important remarks have provided fundamental guidance for advancing the high-quality development of deputy-related work in the new era. The National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee has earnestly implemented the guiding principles of Xi's important speeches and instructions, deepened and expanded the "two contacts" and improved relevant institutional mechanisms such as inviting deputies to attend meetings as non-voting participants, setting an example for and guiding the members of the NPC Standing Committee, as well as its special committees and working commissions to continuously deepen and solidify the work to maintain close contact with NPC deputies.

I. Strengthening the institutional mechanism for contacts between the NPC Standing Committee and NPC deputies to ground the NPC's work in the will of the people

Strengthening contacts with deputies has been a consistent priority of the NPC Standing Committee. In June 1987, the Sixth NPC Standing Committee issued the Several Opinions on Strengthening Contacts Between the National People's Congress Standing Committee and Deputies, explicitly proposing to invite deputies to sit in on the sessions of the NPC Standing Committee. Starting from the 21st session of the Sixth NPC Standing Committee, NPC deputies have been invited to sit in on sessions of the NPC Standing Committee and this practice has gradually been institutionalized. The 14th NPC Standing Committee attaches great importance to giving full play to the professional expertise of deputies. In light of the agenda of the NPC Standing Committee sessions, particularly key legislative and supervisory items, it has made coordinated efforts to invite deputies from relevant professions and backgrounds, as well as those who had submitted relevant motions and suggestions, to sit in on the sessions of the NPC Standing Committee. During the sessions, members of the Council of Chairpersons, members of the NPC Standing Committee as well as members of special committees and working commissions engage in in-depth exchanges with the deputies as non-voting participants and listen to their opinions and suggestions through joint group meetings and group meetings.

Since the fifth session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee, the NPC Standing Committee has established a mechanism for holding symposiums for deputies sitting in on NPC Standing Committee sessions as non-voting participants. Since the 14th NPC, a total of 755 deputy attendances have been recorded at 14 such symposiums. At every symposium, NPC Standing Committee Chairman Zhao Leji attended and delivered remarks; Vice-Chairman Li Hongzhong presided and Secretary‑General Liu Qi was also present. Through these symposiums, the leading officials of the NPC Standing Committee engaged in regular and face‑to‑face conversations with the deputies sitting in on NPC Standing Committee sessions, making the meetings an important platform for the NPC Standing Committee to strengthen contacts with deputies, pool public opinion and wisdom and practice whole-process people's democracy.

Drawing on practical experience, the newly revised Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels, adopted in March 2025, added a provision stating that "The standing committees of the people's congresses at and above the county level and the presidiums of the people's congresses of townships, ethnic townships, and towns shall maintain close contact with deputies", thereby elevating the institutional mechanism for strengthening the contacts between the standing committees of the people's congresses and the deputies to a national law.

II. Keeping channels open for reflecting social conditions and popular sentiment to better collect public opinion and wisdom

The resolution adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed improving the working mechanisms for drawing on public opinion and pooling the wisdom of the people. Deputies to people's congresses come from various regions, ethnic groups and sectors of society. They listen to and reflect people’s opinions and suggestions through various forms and channels. The Deputies Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee closely follows the major decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and carefully sets the themes of the symposiums for non-voting deputies in light of the key tasks of the NPC Standing Committee and the session agendas. Since the 14th NPC, a total of 663 opinions and suggestions have been put forward through 267 deputy attendances  at such symposiums on issues including strengthening the NPC's work of legislation, supervision and deputy-related affairs, ensuring national food security, strengthening patriotic education in the new era, formulating the Energy Law, revising the National Defense Education Law, revising the Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels and advancing economic and social development. This has broadened the channels and means for deputies to reflect public opinion and put forward suggestions to State organs.

The Deputies Affairs Commission has established and improved a working mechanism for receiving, assigning, studying, adopting and providing feedback on opinions and suggestions proposed at symposiums by deputies sitting in on NPC Standing Committee sessions as non-voting participants. It promptly compiled and analyzed the opinions and suggestions, proposed a division of responsibilities for follow-up actions, and, in accordance with legal procedures, referred the suggestions to relevant departments for consideration and handling. All relevant departments attached great importance to the handling of the suggestions, promptly communicated with the deputies who had put forward opinions and suggestions, studied and improved relevant work and responded to deputies through face-to-face meetings, telephone calls or written replies. They also promptly reported feedback to the Deputies Affairs Commission on the communication and follow-up responses. The opinions and suggestions put forward by deputies sitting in on such meetings have continuously promoted relevant departments to refine systems, improve work and solve problems, serving as a vivid illustration of whole-process people's democracy in action.

III. Reinforcing political guidance to enhance the capacity for deputy-related work

The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC called for deputies to people's congresses to better carry out their work and strengthen ties with the people. At the symposiums of non-voting deputies, leading officials of the NPC Standing Committee, together with the deputies, studied the guiding principles of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, important meetings of the CPC Central Committee, On Upholding and Improving the System of People's Congresses by Xi and the newly revised Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels. They humbly listened to opinions and suggestions on the NPC's work, economic and social development, issues closely related to the people's vital interests and of widespread social concern. They also put forward requirements for NPC deputies to enhance their capability to perform their duties and better play their role. After the meetings, the deputies further publicized and implemented the major plans of the Party and the State to the grassroots level through lectures and performance of their duties. This has promoted the building of ideological and ethical standards among deputies to people's congresses at all levels and the improvement of the capabilities in work related to deputies among the standing committees of people's congresses at all levels, fully demonstrating the significant political advantages of the system of people's congresses.

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