LEGISLATORS from Sichuan have mixed feelings about the proposed upgrading of Chongqing to become China's fourth directly administered city along with Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin.
Parliamentarians yesterday evaded questions about the proposal, which would give the southwestern city the power to make its own decisions and handle its own finances without recourse to provincial authorities.
The NPC is scheduled to vote on the plan on March 14.
'You take your question to me after March 14. By then we'll know the voting results,' Sichuan delegate Lei Shunheng told reporters.
'There must be some help to Sichuan's development. But we haven't opened our discussions yet. You look for me in a few days' time.
'Sichuan is Comrade Deng Xiaoping's home town. We are very upset about his passing. But we've pledged to turn our grief into power and support President Jiang Zemin as instructed.' Li Yuxiang, also from the Sichuan delegation, was confident that Chongqing could improve the regional economy if it was granted the status of a directly administered city.
Meanwhile, the party secretary of Shenzhen, Li Youwei , said yesterday that the Special Economic Zone did not want to be upgraded into a city directly run by Beijing.
