14-year-old invited to Shenzhen two sessions as an observer

Liu Bo, 14-year-old, attends local two sessions in Shenzhen. [Photo/CFP]

Shenzhen has invited a teenager to attend the annual meetings of the local political advisory body, part of the local two sessions, reported Beijing Youth Daily on Monday.

Liu Bo, a 14-year-old student in Shenzhen, is the youngest one of the ten youth and the only student who was invited to attend the local two sessions as a local youth representative observer to participate in political affairs.

The two sessions are the annual meetings of the local legislature and political advisory body where the elected deputies and advisors from all levels and all fields make proposals and motions for the better development of society.

This is the first time Shenzhen has had youth representatives sit and listen to the meetings, an innovative move to have youth participate in politics and have their voice heard.

According to a staff of the Communist Youth League of China, "Liu and the group he represents have the right to know what's going on during the meeting."

As observers, Liu Bo, with nine other youth delegates, will have the opportunity to listen to the reports in meetings and the panel discussions among the members of the two sessions.

Before joining the meeting, Liu Bo had already has done his research and collected about 100 suggestions from students as a member of the Chinese Young Pioneers National Working Committee which made him a suitable candidate to represent local students.

The Chinese Young Pioneers, the country's largest children's organization for children aged 6 to 14 years, is run by the Communist Youth League, an organization of older youth that comes under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

Liu proposed ideas, such as that a teenager's self-discipline and exams should not decide one's future, in a symposium days before the Shenzhen two sessions began.

According to Beijing Youth Daily, Liu Bo's mother excused her son from the interview request and answered some questions herself.

Liu's mother said Liu came up with the proposals based on his daily life.

He felt so much pressure once he failed the exams as he was about to take the final year exams in middle school.

He learned a lot from activities like performing, hosting and volunteering and he felt that school and parents put too much pressure on students about their exam scores, and that this should be changed.

Liu's mother also responded to the doubts that her son may not understand what was going on during the meetings.

She said Liu Bo has a lot of experience attending student meetings and proposing his ideas on social problems as a student representative.

Liu told his mother the meetings inspired him to think more about how to make the city better rather than just focusing on issues with children.

Liu's mother thinks it's quite an impressive move for the government to invite teenagers to observe political meetings and to have them participate in it.

"He knew he has responsibilities to society and is getting ready for the unknown future," she said.