The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, will go into session on March 5; and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top advisory body, will go into session on March 3.
The upcoming NPC and CPPCC sessions are considered to be of national importance – equal in significance to the Summer Olympics. People's Daily Online, combined with the People's Daily Domestic Politics Department, launched a nationwide survey on public concerns in 2008. The results show that issues related to livelihood are still the general public's topmost concerns.
The top 10 public concerns are listed as follows by number of votes:
Employment
Price hikes
Medical and health care reform
Wealth distribution
Social security
Protection of labor interests and rights
Fight against corruption
Education
Fairness of judicial process
Housing
On top of that, issues near the top also include: public participation in political affairs; the so-called "big ministries system" (dabuwei tizhi), a hot topic near the end of 2007; traffic improvement; and food and drug safety.
Huge increases in food prices pushed up the country's consumer price index (CPI) by 4.8 percent to an 11-year monthly high in 2007, including a 7.1-percent rise in January 2008. Survey results indicate that nearly 99 percent of voters consider the rise in food prices a strain or "unbearable pressure" on their daily lives. Nearly 64 percent of voters complain that CPI hikes and related increases in food and consumer product prices, as well as sky-rocketing water, power and gas prices have become their main concerns in life.
Additionally, government reform has been under the public eye more than ever, as the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) began its 3-day plenary session this week. The Committee will continue discussing the restructuring of government departments, in phases, with the aim of building an efficient and service-oriented government; and eradicating corruption and other ills associated with a bad administration.
Structural reforms within the State Council have been a recent focus of media attention; although it is still just guesswork, waiting for the votes at the forthcoming sessions. Foremost among the changes arousing public attention is the "big ministries system" (dabuwei tizhi): a number of central- level ministries, commissions and departments that will emerge to facilitate policy formulation and execution.
The State Council currently has 28 ministries and commissions, in addition to four dozen subsidiary offices and agencies that hold ministerial or vice-ministerial status. Substantial streamlining will occur through a number of "big ministries," which is also a recent focus of public interest. Many voters hope the government will give it due attention at the sessions.
The central government stated that deepening government reform is an inevitable requirement for developing a socialist market economy and political democracy.
By People's Daily Online
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