"Following the rule that economic foundation goes before superstructure, we must promote the country's economic growth first and hope some old conceptions can be reformed following an improved economic situation," Chen said.

Chen believes China will experience the primary stage in socialism for a long time. "The economy, systematic construction and cultural traditions will interact with each other for a long time."

She stressed that any advice to the parliament should be made after research and it's not right to comment on the superficial or listen to one-sided complaints.

For example, when a group of retirees complained to Chen about their factory canceling their "retirement allowances", Chen listened to them and also investigated the allegations at the factory. She found the allowances were given in addition to pensions for the retirees when the plant reported high profits and the plant could cancel it when the profits went down."It was the plant's rights and the administrative institution should not interfere," Chen said.

She explained it to the retirees and persuaded them out of a planned petition. Work like this can remarkably reduce social conflicts, Chen said.

When she found the construction industry reported 65 percent of back wage disputes in her survey, she identified the root cause as the loose approval of projects without sufficient funds, which resulted in chain payment defaults. She proposed to the NPC to revise construction law in a bid to address the problems. The advices were accepted by the Ministry of Construction to root out the source of the problems.

Down-to-earth research

Research is an important part of Chen's work.

"Working as an NPC deputy has no payment and most deputies have their own full-time jobs, but a proposal should not be put forward carelessly. We have to know the whole situation well before putting forward constructive advice to the NPC."

"Down-to-earth research is important as we are national deputies, not district or county deputies and have to know the situation of the whole country well before giving any legislative comments."

Being an NPC deputy means "dare to say" for Chen sometimes.

In June 2004 when most local police authorities declared they had finished clearing overtime custody malpractice, Chen received a letter from the families of a suspect. It said the suspect was detained for more than 1,000 days and the case was going back and forth among different judicial departments without a settlement.

At that time, an NPC standing committee delegation was visiting Guangdong to assess the grassroots judicial conditions. Chen told them the true situation on overtime custody. Under the supervision of the NPC standing committee, Guangdong carried out another round of work to clear overtime custody of suspects.

"Some people" wrote anonymously to the provincial People's Congress standing committee, accusing Chen of "exceeding her power of authority."

"I know I'm carrying out my duty and should dare to speak out the truth for the public at the right venue," Chen said.

Chen also guards against abusing her power.

"It's right for an NPC deputy to reflect public opinions, but improper for him or her to step into the process of a single case's solution. Deputies can not abuse their power to interrupt social order," Chen said.

Chen was a lawyer in practice before she acted as an NPC deputy. She said her former work involved contacts with local judicial departments and might have conflicting interests with them. "I decided to retreat from the lawyers in practice and worked as the secretary general of the Guangzhou Bar Association for better work as a deputy. It caused economic loss, but not that much in comparison to the chance to work for the public and realize the personal value of a legal worker," Chen said.