He Wei, a deputy to the Beijing Municipal People's Congress (BMPC), asked people to voice their opinions online and through newspapers on a proposal to ban the eating of wild animals.

It is probably the first time in BMPC's history that its deputy has used the media to make such an appeal. He, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said he would hand the proposal to the upcoming second session of the 12th BMPC. The call for change comes in wake of the epidemics of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

He said seeking public comment on the issue would be instructive and make decision-making more democratic.

He is just one of 10 deputies to the BMPC that sought public comment ahead of the one-week session that will open on February 20.

Five members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Beijing Committee also joined He to seek proposals from the public.

The campaign is sponsored by The Beijing Times and Sina website. People can call 9609-6333 or email xinjingbao@vip.sina.com with their suggestions and opinions on any topics of interest.

Xu Bin, a BMPC deputy taking part in the campaign, said that she planned to draw up a proposal on how to safeguard cultural relics while building a modern city.

"Although I am working at the Beijing Academy of Urban Planning and Design and have experience on the topic, I need public suggestions and opinions to enrich my proposal," said Xu. "After all, it is better if my proposal reflects wider views than my own."

The Beijing Evening News has also teamed up with the sina.com.cn and beijing.gov.cn websites to create a public platform to discuss issues with the deputies.

So far, three members of the CPPCC Beijing Committee have taken part in online discussions on the topics of traffic, piracy and garbage disposal. Other issues of concern include education and changes to heating prices.

Jin Anping, a professor with the School of Government under Peking University, said with the help of the mass media, deputies can interact with residents freely, adding more democracy to Chinese politics.

During Spring Festival this year, a company president in East China's Zhejiang Province, who is also a deputy to the provincial People's Congress, posted an advertisement on local television to solicit public proposals.

Jin said the president's controversial action is a positive one that encourages public participation into decision-making. However, he said not every deputy was rich enough to advertise on TV.

He said many deputies could use lower-cost websites and newspapers to get closer to their constituents, contributing to China's democratic development.

Jin suggested that deputies solicit public opinion and interact with the public regularly, instead of occasionally.

Besides advertisements on TV and public letters, some of China's private enterprisers also establish "think tanks" with their own money. Members of the "think tanks" are generally secretaries of the enterprises, experts in social sciences and retired officials. They especially assist the deputies to collect extensively complaints, suggestions and various kinds of proposals from the mass of people.

Sources say that there are more than ten deputies of the National People's Congress (NPC), most of whom are private entrepreneurs in Zhejiang Province alone. Experts say that since deputies of the people's congress at county level or above are elected by the subordinate people's congress and most of them are part-time, they should more listen to people's opinions and constantly exploit channels to connect with people. This also shows that the deputies' enhanced sense of duty.

Professor Li Long, expert in constitutional studies hold that China's present laws are no longer suitable for new phenomenon and the rules on deputies' connecting with voters are still too principled. The law on deputies of people's congress should be amended to specify duties that deputies must perform.

Only through this can deputies to the people's congress put forward proposals better proposals in terms of depth and breadth, which can represent the opinions and fundamental interests of the public. As China's highest power institution, NPC will play a more and more important role in the process of ruling the country by law, Li Long said.

(People’s Daily February 13, 2004)