International students gain insight into Chinese-style democracy

Local expats can now share their ideas or suggestions about life in Shanghai by visiting the Shanghai CPPCC Whole-Process People's Democracy Practice Site in Changning District, which offers bilingual services.

They can also submit feedback using the form provided on-site or through calls and online channels to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Shanghai Committee.

On Monday, the site welcomed its first group of 16 international students from Shanghai University.

The event aimed to better utilize the practice site as a window and platform, helping international students to understand the innovative practices of consultative democracy up close, and enhancing their knowledge of China's CPPCC system and the important concept of whole-process people's democracy.

In recent years, the CPPCC Shanghai Committee and district-level CPPCCs have focused on practicing whole-process people's democracy and innovatively developed a series of exploratory practices.

In terms of institutional mechanisms, they have established a comprehensive cycle for the CPPCC to practice whole-process people's democracy: carefully listening to public opinion when setting consultation topics, reflecting the demands of various social sectors, conducting in-depth research before consultations, proposing targeted and actionable ideas, engaging in extensive interactive exchanges during consultations, pooling wisdom to form recommendations for Party committees and government departments, and assisting in scientific decision-making and effective policy implementation.

After consultations, they provide feedback to members and the public about how their suggestions were adopted by the Party and government.

"As a CPPCC member, we regularly go to the grassroots to collect opinions and suggestions from all residents, including foreign residents. For example, when the residents expressed concerns about the lack of streetlights in a community plaza, the local Party committee immediately addressed the issue and installed new lighting," said Li Peilei, a Changning District CPPCC member. "We have a mature and effective system to gather and respond to residents' feedback, ensuring their voices are heard."

To foster these innovations, Shanghai established a dedicated CPPCC Whole-Process People's Democracy Practice Site and set up 235 CPPCC member workstations, 45 sector member studios, and over 1,000 member contact points across the city to carry out grassroots-level democratic consultations.

Leveraging these platforms and the diverse expertise of CPPCC members, they engage in consultations on topics such as community governance, elevator installations, elderly care services, community cultural supply, pocket park projects, optimizing the business environment and rural revitalization, thereby helping to resolve livelihood issues and social conflicts, and empowering effective governance.

"We organize various platforms to mobilize our members and the public to participate in building projects such as 'habitat gardens.' By working together, we identify local needs and ensure these gardens serve residents of all ages," Changning District member Fan Zhufeng said. "We also invite professionals to provide guidance, teaching residents how to manage the environment and promote biodiversity."

A habitat garden is an urban garden that enhances biodiversity by creating natural habitats within community spaces. It promotes coexistence between people and nature, using native plants, avoiding invasive species, diversifying plant communities, minimizing pesticides and fertilizers, and providing food, water, or shelter for urban wildlife.

During the visit, the international students engaged in lively discussions with representatives from the event organizers about various topics of interest. Many students said that through this on-site visit, they deeply felt the unique advantages of the CPPCC system and the dynamic vitality of Chinese-style democracy.

"I have learned a lot from this experience because I see that everyone is involved in the work of the CPPCC, from young people to the elderly, and all parts of the government. Everyone shares their ideas and suggestions, and those voices are genuinely heard. What impressed me most was how they start implementing practical solutions based on these contributions, involving people from a very young age," said Mejia Buenfil Pilar from Mexico.

"I was particularly drawn to the museum and the garden they created because it shows their commitment to finding ways to engage the community and make life more sustainable, promoting harmony between wildlife and city residents," she added.

So far this year, the Shanghai CPPCC Whole-Process People's Democracy Practice Site has conducted 54 consultation activities, with 2,481 grassroots participants and 636 pieces of public opinion collected.