Across China: Political advisors contribute ideas on city's emergency response

BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Political advisors in Beijing recently gathered to help the city improve its emergency response capabilities, aiming to tackle natural disasters and workplace accidents with AI and digital technologies.

This gathering offers a window into one of the key elements of China's whole-process people's democracy -- the role of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) system.

Members of CPPCC committees at different levels, who are political advisors, are drawn from political parties, people's organizations, non-party public figures and various sectors of society. Many of them are leading voices in their respective fields.

The Beijing municipal committee of the CPPCC organized Friday's session, which marked the culmination of investigation and research conducted by municipal political advisors since March in collaboration with members of non-CPC political parties, scholars and experts.

In the summer of 2023, Beijing experienced its heaviest rainfall in more than 140 years, which grounded trains, swept away cars and affected a population of more than 1 million. This year, heavy rains and gales battered the city again, uprooting trees and suspending traffic in urban areas.

Mu Peng, the vice mayor responsible for city administration, traffic, agriculture and rural areas, attended the meeting to collect opinions and suggestions. He was joined by 11 officials from various bureaus, including those responsible for water resources, emergency response, digital resources, fire fighting, and meteorology.

Huang Xiaobin, a municipal political advisor and vice chairman of the Beijing Federation of Industry and Commerce, addressed data silos and the need for making standards for data use in emergency response.

Bai Lin, another municipal political advisor and vice dean of the School of Cyber Science and Technology at Beihang University, shared his expertise on large AI models, blockchain technologies and drones.

Yang Saini, a Jiusan Society member who joined the research at the invitation of political advisors, advocated developing methods to "analyze the impact of weather conditions on various groups."

Yang is a professor at the School of National Safety and Emergency Management at Beijing Normal University and executive director of the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk International Programme Office.

The Jiusan Society is a non-CPC political party primarily composed of senior and mid-level intellectuals from the scientific and technological fields.

During a period for unscheduled speech, Zhang Chengfu, a counsellor to the municipal government and professor at the School of Public Administration and Policy at Renmin University of China, spoke off the cuff.

He called for attention to inappropriate ways of development, cautioned against an over-reliance on technologies, and stressed the need to assess the city's resilience.

Cui Shuqiang, the session's leading political advisor and chair, encouraged participants to give their opinions, including attendees in the back rows.

In the following segments, government officials briefed the research team on government work and plans, responding to concerns expressed by the researchers.

Vice Mayor Mu thanked the team for their insights and pledged the government will strive to enhance intelligent emergency response capabilities.

Wei Xiaodong, chairman of the municipal committee of the CPPCC, called for enhanced coordination to eliminate information silos and stressed the need for top-level design.

He also encouraged political advisors to "be forthright about existing issues and offer their advice."

The three-hour consultation concluded at noon. Political advisors would then produce a report that incorporates suggestions from the session and submit it to the municipal CPC committee and municipal government, contributing to a three-year plan to enhance the emergency response capabilities of the capital city.

Two high school students and a teacher from the Miyun District were invited to observe the session to help them understand the operation of the CPPCC.

Qi Xin, a sophomore at Miyun High School Affiliated with Capital Normal University, has a keen interest in public governance systems. When he learned about the opportunity to observe a session of political advisors, he signed up without hesitation.

"I noticed that many CPPCC members come from the grassroots," he said. "They shared the realities of their communities. I believe the will of the people is respected and reflected here."

Since 2015, political advisors in Beijing been offering support to the "Model CPPCC," an experiential program that invites middle school, high school, and university students to CPPCC sessions.

In 2023 alone, nearly 25,000 students and teachers in Beijing observed local political advisors performing their duties.

Under this program, students are also encouraged to draft mock proposals and engage in simulated consultations. ■