First-time invite for China’s public to comment ahead of 20th Communist Party congress
- Opinions sought on eight issues, from governance to Chinese-style democracy, livelihoods and ecological progress
- Unprecedented decision to include general public shows leadership’s ‘democratic style of work’
State news agency Xinhua said people can make suggestions on “full and strict party governance, high quality development, comprehensive reform and opening up, [and] whole-process people’s democracy”.
The party is also seeking views on “law-based state governance, socialist cultural advancement, people’s livelihoods and ecological progress”. People have until May 16 to submit their comments and suggestions to websites and mobile apps for Xinhua, party mouthpiece People’s Daily and state broadcaster CCTV.
The move follows a fierce campaign last year to rein in private capital in a number of sectors, including technology, after-school tutoring and internet financial services. It also comes amid widespread discontent over job losses and food shortages, with strict lockdowns in many cities to curb Covid-19 outbreaks.
China has prioritised maintaining economic and social stability ahead of the party congress later this year, when President Xi Jinping is expected to secure his third term as party general secretary, as the rest of the top leadership undergoes a major reshuffle.
However, economic growth – a cornerstone of the party’s rule for decades – is facing strong headwinds, with surging global oil prices and uncertainty over the war in Ukraine adding to tensions with the US and its allies, all on top of the growing costs of stringent lockdowns at home.
China’s economy grew 4.8 per cent in the first quarter from a year ago, with many economists forecasting it will miss the official full-year target of around 5.5 per cent this year.