Extracts. Grassroots Democratic Election Improving in NE. China Han Xingfu, 61, head of the villagers' committee of Huojiadian Village in northeast China's Jilin Province, is preparing for the fifth election to be held at the end of this year. During his tenure, the village became increasingly famous for its democratic election at home and abroad. Two years ago, Han had a heated discussion on democratic election at grassroots level with Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), when he visited the village. "The villagers' awareness of democracy and participation have gradually enhanced after the elections and the election process has become more standardized and is on a better legal footing," Han told Li. The discussion between the head of China's top legislature and the lowest administrator in the country hit headlines of news media. "How could we practice democracy if farmers have not had an access to democracy in a country like China which is the home to over 900 million farmers?" said Zeng Fanxu, a deputy to the Ninth NPC who was once in charge of the grassroots election in the province. The first villagers' committee election in the province was in 1988. The head of the villagers' committee was elected by villagers rather than being appointed by superiors. Three years later when farmers voted in the second election, transparency of the election was greatly improved as the voters' list, quota and requirements of candidates, as well as the correct voting process were all put in place. A campaign speech became a must in the third election in 1995. It was a common scene for crowds of sun tanned farmers to be sitting in front of a stage watching and listening to the speeches of the candidates. Lishu County took the lead in moving away from the former candidate nomination system by opening the competition stage to all, which enabled voters to nominate anyone for village head election, including themselves. More than 90 percent of the villagers voted and many of whom traveled over ten km for the election. Chen Yongxi, then newly elected head of the villagers' committee of Ping'an Village in Lishu County, impressed a Newsweek correspondent by saying that Clinton won in the election with only 46 percent of American people voting. Whereas he rose from an election with a 95 percent participation rate. Relevant laws and regulations were adopted to ensure the grassroots democracy. The "Organic Village Committee Law of the People's Republic of China" was promulgated in November, 1998. The fourth election in rural areas of Jilin Province made it possible for villagers away from home to vote via post. Surprised by the efficient and smooth election, an observer from the Carter Center believed that westerners will change their negative view on China's democracy if only they had witnessed the election process. Jilin Province passed a new law on village-level election this summer based on the experience gained from the former four elections. The law makes it a rule that spouses, lineal relative or collateral relative within three generations of any villagers' committee members not be elected into one villagers' committee so as to avoid interference from influential clans, said Zhu Kemin, head of the provincial civil affairs department. The law, which has been passed by the provincial government, was submitted to the Standing Committee of Provincial People's Congress for examination and approval. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Promising Future for Sino-African Unofficial Exchanges Mekonen Abraha, minister of Industry, Trade and Transportation in the Ethiopian province of Tigre, decided at the end of his visit to China that an agriculture delegation from his province should pay a visit to northwest China's Gansu Province. During his stay in Gansu, Abraha found similarities between Gansu and Tigre in terms of climate and natural conditions, and he said that Gansu's experience in developing agricultural production and eliminating poverty are worth learning from. Three months ago, as guests of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), a major non-governmental organization in China, Abraha and his delegation made a fact-finding visit to a poverty relief demonstration in Gansu and visited local farmers in some township-level enterprises in east China's Jiangsu province. Unofficial exchanges between China and African countries have played an important role in promoting Sino-African friendship and cooperation, a CPAFFC official said. The Chinese and African peoples forged a deep friendship when fighting imperialism, colonialism and struggling for national independence and liberation as early as in the 1950-60s. China and most African countries established diplomatic relations since then, expanding horizons for unofficial exchanges between China and African countries. Su Guang, vice-president of the CPAFFC, said that new energy should be injected into Sino-African unofficial exchanges based on the existing friendship. Over the past 10 years, the CPAFFC has received more than 10 African delegations each year in the areas of politics, economy, trade, the press, culture and local governments and parliaments. Moreover, the CPAFFC has worked to promote contacts between the business communities of the two sides. The Johannesburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce in South Africa was invited to visit China last year to introduce business opportunities to Chinese businessmen. The CPAFFC has also played a role in establishing friendly relations between localities of both sides. Since the establishment of relations between Changsha City in Hunan province in central China and Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo in 1982, Chinese localities have forged 43 pairs of friendly relations with foreign counterparts from 23 African countries, thus promoting cooperation in various fields. "The Sino-African friendship has stood the test of time. At the turn of the century, China and African countries should work together to seek common development. There is a promising future for Sino-African unofficial exchanges," Su said. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disparity Between East and the Rest Narrows China has made outstanding achievements in narrowing the socio-economic gaps between its eastern, central and western areas during the Ninth Five-Year Plan period (1996-2000), a State Economic and Trade Commission spokesman said. "Due to the central government's favourable policies, the central and western areas, which are considered underdeveloped in China, witnessed a rapid economic growth during the past five years," the spokesman said. The average annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in western areas stood at 9.77 per cent. In central areas the rate was 10.10 per cent. "The growth rates were close to that of the eastern region, which stood at 10.43 per cent," the spokesman said. "A number of key provinces have arisen with robust economies in the central and western areas during the latest period," he said. Country-wide, 13 provinces and autonomous regions, including Hubei, Anhui and Ningxia, scored higher economic growth than the national average during the Ninth Five-Year Plan period, while only eight provinces and autonomous regions managed to exceed the average during the Eighth Five-Year Plan period (1991-95). Many of the newly prosperous provinces and regions are located in the middle and western parts of China.The cities of Xi'an, Chongqing, Chengdu, Urumqi and Kunming have become economic powerhouses in these areas. The spokesman said fixed assets investment in the central and western areas increased during the Ninth Five-Year Plan period, and the areas' infrastructures had improved rapidly. Accounting for 34.7 per cent of the country's total in 1996, fixed assets investment in western China accounted for 38.8 per cent of the total in 1999. A number of key projects, including the Three Gorges Dam project, the Nanning-Kunming Railway and the Beijing-Kowloon Railway, have been launched or completed during the five years. "These key projects have greatly improved the infrastructure in central and western areas, which helps the areas' economic development,'' the spokesman said. During the Ninth Five-Year Plan period, China carried out a series of policies designed to open central and western areas to foreign investors. The efforts have begun to pay off. Foreign investment and exports have both increased to a significant degree, the spokesman said. Exports in central and western areas grew 31.96 per cent and 27.07 per cent year-on-year respectively during the first half of this year, while exports in eastern areas rose 27.80 per cent. "The central and western areas have also succeeded in improving diversity of industry and beefing up economic co-operation with eastern areas during the five years," the spokesman said. Along with the rapid economic development, living standards have obviously improved, and the income gap between people in eastern areas and central and western areas had narrowed, the spokesman said. Due to the country's efforts to help people escape poverty, the number of poor people in western and central areas decreased, dropping from 65 million in 1996 to 34 million at present, according to official statistics _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
