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The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature,
and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top advisory body,
are currently holding their annual sessions in Beijing. The
following are excerpts from speeches delivered by NPC deputies and
CPPCC members on current issues.
Chen Hong (NPC deputy): For protecting environment and saving
energy resources, automakers have the responsibilities to control
energy consumption of cars, develop alternative fuel and raise the
standard of controlling exhaust pollution.
Meanwhile, the government should work out details and
supplementary regulations of Laws of the People's Republic of China
on Energy Conservation. A long- or medium-term plan of energy
conservation, alternative fuel and exhaust discharge control should
be set up to orient the auto industry's development.
Energy conservation and environment protection are the basic
policies of the State. Energy security plays an important role in
China's sustainable development and the country's security.
Currently, China's petroleum consumption ranks third in the
world, energy consumption second. In 2003, about one-third of
China's petroleum consumption depended on import and it is expected
that in 2020 this figure will increase to one-half. Increased
consumption of petroleum threatens the country's energy security
and throws obstacles in the way of sustainable development.
With the upsurge of auto production and sales, fuel consumption
by autos accounts for a big part of the total consumption - 33
percent in 2002, and an expected 39 percent by 2005.
Huge energy consumption also creates serious pollution. In some
cities, auto exhaust release has become a major source of air
pollution.
In developed countries, national strategies on energy resources
were set up at the end of last century and strict standards on
exhaust discharge have been established.
In China, although there is laws governing energy conservation,
details and technical criteria are lacking, which makes it
difficult for automakers to standardize production. In addition,
low-quality fuel on the market also results in air pollution
produced by autos.
In this way, the government and auto industry should make a
joint effort to save energy and protect environment.
Zhu Qingshi (CPPCC member): Two problems should be tackled for
better developing institutes of high education.
First, State-owned assets in share-holding enterprises run by
institutes should be protected through legislation.
Since most of China's enterprises are plagued by a weak capacity
for research and development, this is an important way to develop
the country's high-tech sector through operating share-holding
enterprises by institutes of higher education. Now such enterprises
have witnessed a sound beginning, but the State-owned assets lack
legal protection during the set up of share-holding
enterprises.
Second, the system of selecting leadership in institutes of
higher education should be reformed.
Appointing a president should be carried out under a good
mechanism. Laws of higher education defines one of the
responsibilities of university presidents is to suggest a candidate
for vice-president. This has been a successful formula in topnotch
foreign universities, but in China it is not practiced well. The
personnel system of institutes of higher education needs to be
reformed.
Zhu Zhaoliang (CPPCC member): Food security should be stressed
in China, including securities governing quantity, quality, economy
and ecology.
The quality and quantity of cultivated land should be
guaranteed. The examination and approval system of land use should
be strict to ensure land resources are utilized in a proper and
effective way. And high-quality land resources should be
protected.
A research on quality of land resources needs to be carried out
to get to know the country's current conditions of lands and
predict its development. The research could also provide sources to
policy-making in this field.
Farmers' enthusiasm for cultivating foods should be encouraged
through preferential policies and subsidies.
Better production techniques should be promoted to improve food
quality, and food production should be carried out in a
non-polluted environment. Fertilizers, pesticides and mulch should
be controlled strictly and used carefully. Reparation should be
attended to polluted arable land to avoid having food planted in
it.
A system of spreading technology should be set up to make sure
science and technology play an effective role.
(China Daily March 8, 2004)
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