Members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
(CPPCC) proposed to establish an independent rural agriculture
committee during the First Session of the 10th CPPCC National
Committee.
At
team meetings of the First Session of the 10th CPPCC National
Committee, members from agricultural fields proposed to set up an
independent agriculture committee to strengthen work in the area,
enhance research and facilitate information services in the
establishment of bills on agriculture.
They put forward the following list of reasons for its
establishment:
First, the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China
put forward a target of building an "affluent" society. The nation
has 900 million farmers and a large part of them still live in
poverty, some not even having enough to eat. What is called the "3
Agricultural Affairs" of agriculture, rural development and
farmers' living standards comprise an important part of the
government's work.
Second, although the CPPCC deals with agricultural matters through
its economic committee, the "3 Agricultural Affairs" is not simply
an economic issue. It also includes the lives of the farmers and
their families, poverty levels, grass root organization building,
education and dissemination of farming technology and cultural
knowledge; all of which requires research and management, which is
why the members have suggested a committee.
Third, modern macro-agriculture not only includes agriculture,
forestry, animal husbandry and fishing but also zoology,
environmental protection, poverty relief, development studies and
education. It would be a task of the committee to liaise a
relationship between these sub-sectors, however difficult that
would initially appear.
Fourth, the National People's Congress already has a rural
agriculture committee and the establishment of a CPPCC agricultural
committee would not compete with the work of the NPC but simply
attempt to address other real needs of the sector. While the NPC
focuses on agricultural law and regulation, the CPPCC committee
will research special problems and situations and provide solutions
as many of its members are specialists in various fields within
agriculture. In this way they would act as a special "working
committee" within the overall sector requirements.
(China.org.cn by Staff Reporter Chen Chao, translated by Feng
Yikun, March 15, 2003)