CPPCC opening marks start of China’s biggest political gathering

World Today

Political season is officially under way in China. The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, or CPPCC, will debate the issues affecting the world’s most populous country and second-largest economy.

Top political advisers, including President Xi Jinping, are among those attending China’s biggest political gathering. China’s top legislative body, The National People’s Congress, is also part in country’s annual landmark political event

CGTN’s Han Bin reports from Beijing.

Yang Jia is the only visually impaired CPPCC member. The professor at the Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences wants to change China’s education for people with disabilities.

“I believe that through my own proposal, I think China will take on the path for inclusive education instead of special education, that’s also the outcry and the need for the people with disabilities,” Yang said. “We need to have better teachers, we need to have assistive technology, and we need to revise our laws and policies, so this is what we can do as CPPCC members for how the government should function.”

Yang Jia believes there are no disabled people, but rather, crippled technology. For years, she has been advocating for the marginalized group of some 80 million people. She said her role as a political adviser is to be a crusader for all Chinese with disabilities.

A key task for CPPCC members is the proposals through which they offer their expertise. More than 2000 advisers bring their influence to policies at the annual meeting. It’s seen as the best chance to make their voices heard. Yang Jia said her mission is the march towards a more just society.

The CPPCC is aware of public calls to improve its work and is reportedly determined to channel the real concerns of people’s lives and livelihoods.