After the outbreak of SARS in 2003, Chen advised the government to promote public health education and the advice was answered and accepted by the government.

"The work of a deputy to the NPC is a process of learning. I majored in law, but I have also learnt a lot on management and economy in the past five years. The experience helps broaden my horizons - in the past I could only see the part before my eyes, but now the view is much wider," Chen said.

Feminal approach

Chen believes women representatives might have "gentle perspectives" and show more "sympathy to the vulnerable."

She pays attention to the health of women and children.

Chen advised the government to promote medical checks before marriage registration to reduce defects in newborns. After her proposal was publicized through the media, many cities such as Beijing and Guangzhou carried out free medical checks for newlyweds.

She excels by paying much attention to systematic specifics, which might be overlooked even by the public.

In 2003, Chen asked the parliament to patch up the systematic flaws in the real estate industry by allowing individuals to inquire about ownership of a piece of real estate.

"Most common households could only afford an apartment through life-long work, but some real estate developers sold one apartment to two buyers due to the relatively opaque information about real estate ownership," Chen said.

"The adjustment could ensure honest trade in the society," Chen said. The advice was followed by the Property Law and the Ministry of Construction.

From the perspective of a civilian, Chen found the real estate registration and land registration repetitive and should be simplified to improve efficiency and reduce the public's troubles and cost. The advice was also taken into the Property Law, which was passed in March 2007 and enforced on October 1, 2007.

"Many big events have little to do with the common people's lives, while some specifics are often critical to their interests, " Chen said about her fixation on specifics.

Talking about her five-year work experience, Chen said, "It's never just a slogan for me that a deputy to the NPC should work for the people. I feel satisfied as I can do something for the public, reflect the problems at the grassroots level, find solutions for the rulers and help propel our country's progress."

"Constructing democracy and ruling by law will be a relatively long process in China and should be handled step by step, and never in a rush," Chen said.

"The NPC deputy work helps me understand the size of China, 1.3 billion people, and complexity of its problems. The ruling legislative body is challenged by quick economic growth and unbalanced development. It is also a test of the legislators' wisdom to balance different interests."

(Xinhua News Agency March 2, 2008)