The ongoing 16th CPC National Congress, which began on November 8, is participated in by over 2,000 delegates representing 66 million Party members. Women delegates account for 18 percent of the total. Who are they? And what are they thinking about the Party's important event? China.org.cn presents their stories in a series.
Xu Xiaoqin: An Excellent Policewoman in Chongqing
In Shiqiaopu, a residential area of Chongqing, people cordially call Xu Xiaoqin, a policewoman, "Xu Huji" meaning "household register Xu," based on her responsibility. When she was elected delegate to the CPC 16th National Congress this year, the residents of Shiqiaopu all applauded to show their agreement.
When Xu first arrived at Shiqiaopu, it was a neighborhood of notoriously dirty and disorderly, where harassing incidents happened frequently. Xu visited the household one by one and talked with the people. She also led a patrolling team in the evening to ensure public security. After a year's hard work, the public order in this area improved remarkably.
At that time, Xu was suffering from aplastic anemia, which required her to rest, but she always rushed to the front whenever a case took place. Several times, she fainted at the case sites.
The local residents tried every means to help her recover, accompanying her to see doctors, fetching her mineral water from mountains dozens of kilometers away and making soft cloth shoes for her.
Xu said the police is fish and the common people are water. "The residents here treat me as their daughter and they help me and support me. I have no reason not to repay them with my good service."
Ye Xiuying: A Woman Devoted to the Welfare of Her Neighborhood
Ye Xiuying has been working as the director of her neighborhood committee for 20 years. On this post, she has experienced all kinds of difficulties and hardships, but she never gave up. She believes that her efforts in helping solve trifling problems in people's daily life, like little streams, can bring the warmth of the Party to the hearts of the residents of various ethnic groups in the neighborhood.
The neighborhood committee Ye works with is in charge of an area located at the joint of urban and rural districts. Among the residents living here, there are more jobless persons, more ethnic minorities, and more people living under the poverty line, making the neighborhood characterized with lower average earning, lower living standard and lower education level. This three "mores" and three "lowers" put this area in an awful mess. When Ye first took the post, she felt a great pressure upon her. After she visited the families one by one and had heart-to-heart talks with them, she realized that hers was a lofty job to help alleviate people's suffering. Eventually, Ye became a trustable friend of the local people. When any of them has a problem, the first person they think about going to is Ye. "Since the Party has put me on this post, I will always do my best," she said.
Ye has a deep understanding of the residents' bitterness and is always ready to offer her help whenever it's needed. She personally takes care of 20 elderly people. While trying hard to get support from the government, she saves every penny of her own money to help these poor elderly.
Ye's outstanding work is widely recognized and honored by upper-level authorities. In 1998, she was awarded the honor of Excellent Party Branch Secretary by the CPC Qitai County Committee and praised by the Party Committee of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In the same year, the authorities of Changji Prefecture appraised her neighborhood committee as a Model of Ethnic Unity, and Ye, a Woman Pace-setter.
Xie Lifang, a Bosom Friend of Community Residents
Xie Lifang, in her twenties, is the youngest delegate of the 16th CPC National Congress members from south China?s Fujian Province. Although she looks gentle and shy, Xie has been part of the residence community committee for six years.
Over 30 honorary certificates hang on the walls of the Zhenwei Residence Community Committee office on Liedong Street, Meilie District of Sanming City. They include the Advanced Unit of National Spiritual Civilization Construction, Demonstration of National Civilized City and National Model Residence Community Committee among others. Xie says that the tributes belonging to her predecessors inspire her while she is sitting in the office.
Xie Lifang has now become a well-known person in Sanming City, and throughout Fujian Province. She was once awarded with the National Woman Pace-setter, Model of National Community Ideological and Political Works. Local media call her the ?Community Premier,? and community residents regard her as their bosom friend. Xie said that the director of the residence community is not a government official, but a person that serves the people and helps to solve any difficulties they may have with the government.
Xie comes up a lot of ideas in order to better serve the residents. For example, in order to solve the inconvenience of residents living in the area, she made a questionnaire, ?What Kind of Service Can You Offer and What Do You Want?? She established a mutual community help corner, publicized resident?s areas of expertise and their telephone numbers; organized laid-off workers and helped them overcome their difficulties, assisted the unemployed find work and brought other conveniences to the residents.
?The honor belongs not only to me, but to the whole community. It has become an incentive that I use to encourage myself to finish work of a higher quality,? said Xie when talking about her election. She noted that nowadays the most important job is to improve the community?s civilization, instead of just working toward improved social order and environment, as was the case in the past. Therefore, the Zhenwei Residence Community Committee organized ?characteristic family,? and ?happy community? square cultural activities. Currently, Xie together with her colleagues are busy carrying out door-to-door investigations among employed, mobile and retired Party members.
(China.org.cn November 14, 2002)
