Does Anyone Have Something to Say?

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I recently covered the National People's Congress and China People's Political Consultative Conference meetings for the second year in a row. I came away a bit confused. After reading all kinds of delegate proposals, and speaking with delegates face-to-face, I wondered whether anyone really speaks for the people.

Names of delegates and committee members are recorded in the proposals drafted for the two sessions, and laws on the agenda clearly define their parameters. Delegates from relatively small communities are usually considered ideal interviewees for reporters like me, since they're supposed to have deep understanding on many issues.

But delegates from Zhejiang and Yunnan provinces I met at the Gehua New Century Hotel in Beijing fell short of my expectations. They said they had come to listen and learn from government leaders rather than express opinions.

At the same hotel, I interviewed a delegate known for productive proposals. He talked a lot about how seriously he was concerned about the country, and how painstakingly he approached his delegate duties. But when asked about specific issues and problems, he beat around the bush. Sometimes he "forgot" his viewpoint. In the end, he introduced me to his secretary and said with a smile, "He is available for all your questions. What he says are my thoughts."

I tried to interview delegates from a western region. I found officers busy compiling lists of suggestions for delegate proposals. Every column was filled in except spaces for "lead proposer" signatures. I was told all materials had been prepared beforehand so that delegates could choose which proposals they wished to adopt, and then sign off as a proposer. Most of the 175 suggestions came from local governments and minor parties. Most local authorities asked the central government for financial support or supportive policies, while the parties focused on political concerns such as corruption. Every entry was complemented by detailed research.

Several days later, I saw the list again. But this time, the list turned up as a proposal list with delegate signatures in "lead proposer" columns. When interviewed by journalists, each delegate expressed enthusiasm for his or her adopted proposal, and boasted about their research.

At dinner with other reporters who interviewed delegates, I heard one complain about a delegate he met who was nice but said little worth reporting. That delegate told the reporter he would not deny anything he wrote about him. Another reporter suggested interviewing delegates who represented entrepreneurs because at least they had something to say. "They're willing or even eager to speak for their companies and industries."

Some delegates never said anything, some talked nonsense, some were too pushy. So who really speaks for the people?　

(Translated by GC)