On the morning of September 4, Chunshu Library at Chunshu Sub-district, Xicheng District welcomed a distinguished guest from afar: Maria Fernanda Lay, President of the National Parliament of Timor-Leste. Invited to China for the V-Day Commemorations on September 3, she made a special trip to the Deputies’ Office of the Chunshu Sub-district to learn about how China’s whole-process people’s democracy is carried out at the primary level.
The system of people’s congresses is an important institutional vehicle for achieving whole-process people’s democracy in China. An official from Chunshu Sub-district introduced that the sub-district has established one Deputies’ Office and seven Liaison Stations for Deputies. These platforms serve as vital bases for the people’s deputies to perform their duties, functioning as key hubs for them to engage with voters, interpret policies, promote culture, and support economic development. They act as a bridge connecting hearts between the people and their deputies.
The western reception room is a space for deputies’ routine self-improvement, meetings with voters, and public opinion collection. It also functions as an exhibition area showcasing the deputies’ performance of duties. Fernanda asked questions on issues she was particularly interested in, such as “How do deputies perform their duties?” and “What channels do they have for obtaining information?” The official explained that the introduction of the Deputies’ Office, the distribution map of the Office and liaison stations, the rights and obligations of deputies, as well as information about the municipal and district-level deputies serving the Sub-district are all displayed on the wall.Residents can scan the QR code to directly contact deputies online, voice their appeals, or submit suggestions.
The official also showed the various documents on the desk, including the deputies’ duty performance photo album and the work summary of the Office, which offered voters a detailed picture of how the deputies are fulfilling their duties. Fernanda read through these materials, and gained a deeper understanding of how the deputies uphold the principle of “putting people first” through their frontline efforts at the primary level.
In the southern reading room, deputies to the Xicheng District People’s Congress were meeting with property management companies, contractors, and resident representatives to discuss the renovation of old residential communities. Fernanda experienced firsthand how the deputies received voters. Meanwhile, a legal awareness lecture was being held in the northern reading room, where residents were listening to a lecture on the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China and asking questions every now and then. Fernanda warmly greeted everyone and remarked, “Knowing and understanding the law is crucial. China’s primary-level legal education initiatives provide an essential foundation for people to follow and apply the law.”
The official introduced that beyond physical venues, the Sub-district has also established online platforms, including the Xicheng District People’s Congress Deputy Online Service Platform and a section named “Chunyu Voice Mailbox” on its WeChat official account to let residents be heard. These digital channels support deputies in performing their duties and facilitating mutual learning and exchange. They also enable broader collection of public opinions, highlighting convenient democratic participation, regular democratic consultation, and real-time democratic supervision, thus embodying whole-process people’s democracy in practice. “The Sub-district provides convenience for in-depth exchanges between deputies and residents. I can feel the commitment to the principle of all for the people and putting people first,” Fernanda spoke highly of China’s democratic system at the primary level.
The cultural fair in the courtyard also captured the delegation’s attention. Stalls showcased a wide array of exhibits including ancient books from China Bookstore, woodblock water prints from Rong Bao Zhai, Peking Opera costumes, and facial masks. Fernanda lingered at each one with great interest and stopped at the display wall to learn in detail the cultural history of Chunshu Sub-district.
