A discussion of a regulation on the demolition of an urban residential district, the civilian representatives, who included business managers, civil servants, clerks, lawyers, laid-off workers and college students, raised a series of questions which have all been filed as legal references for further deliberation.

Li Shanpei, acting chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, cited the event as the city's first open-door hearing held to solicit the opinions of citizens on the formulation of a regional regulation.

Along with the public representatives, 20 citizens attended as observers.

"Experience has shown that public hearings can help guarantee the legitimacy and feasibility of legislation," Li said.

China's first legislative hearing was held in Sept. 1999 in Guangdong province on the management of the construction project bidding process.

By 2002, more than 30 legislative hearings had been held in 19 provinces and cities around China including Shanghai and Tianjin municipalities, Guangdong, Hebei, Zhejiang, Hunan, Shanxi and Sichuan provinces, and Shenyang and Wuhan cities in northeastern and central China.

Associate Professor Peng Juan, vice-president of the Law Institute of Guangzhou University, expressed her belief that legislative hearings are not necessary for all laws and regulations.

"For those that have a direct impact on the daily lives of ordinary citizens, hearings are a must so that the interests of the vulnerable strata of people can be better protected," she said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 12, 2003)