More grassroots members, women join 19th Party Congress

World Today

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will involve more grassroots members and women. CGTN’s Guan Yang visited Shenyang in Liaoning Province to speak with some of these newly-elected delegates.

College-graduate Wu Shufang once had a difficult job convincing the villagers she was worthy of her position on the local council. However, through her hard work and devotion over a nine-year term, she earned the commendation.

“I think the 18th CPC National Congress was a turning point for party work, as the CPC called for strict governance at all levels. My strong self-discipline has helped me gain support from the masses,” she said.

Nearly a third of the delegates this year were elected from sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture. The number of females has also risen to about a quarter of the total. The election was conducted with the strictest standards concerning political integrity and work ethic.

“After my nomination, I was surprised to see a group of 50 people come to my village to check my qualifications. They’ve talked to almost everyone here, the process lasted for six months before I was elected,” Shufang explained.

A total of 2,300 delegates nationwide have been elected to represent China’s 88 million CPC members and take part in the national congress this month. Strict procedures were observed all throughout the process, from the nomination and candidate selection, to the organizational review and election.

Industrial worker Chi Guiyi is another delegate who has won a seat in the Great Hall of the People. He’s known for his hard-working style, helping save millions of yuan in costs at a local manufacturing plant. The Shenyang native said everyone is thrilled he’s getting this chance.

“I asked my colleagues if they had any concerns that they’d like me to address to the party, but they were more interested in what I am going to see and hear at the congress,” he said.

While it might all be a new and excitable experience for many grassroots delegates, they do have one mission in common: to truly speak out on behalf of the normal people of China.


CGTN talked to Neysun Mahboubi, an expert on Chinese law and a Research Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania’s “Center for the Study of Contemporary China”.