Boons of online feedback

With the Chinese People's Political Con-sultative Conference (CPPCC) opening its annual session today, and the National People's Congress (NPC) to commence two days later, lianghui, or two sessions, topics are beginning to dominate media headlines.

A new venue for discourse about lianghui this year are online sites. To date, all major news portals have opened channels for individuals to share their ideas about current affairs. Some feature specific invitations for people to raise questions to Premier Wen Jiabao, who is to open the NPC session with a report on government work and conclude it with a routine press conference. Some officials have been found communicating with netizens, among whom was Premier Wen, who took questions from a nationwide audience during an online chat session a few days ago.

Thanks to the Internet, the two sessions are reaching the average citizen, and CPPCC members and NPC deputies have additional channels to hear from those they represent. The once unimaginable accessibility of national leaders, including President Hu Jintao, on the Web has inspired enthusiasm for participation in State affairs and for the two sessions, as shown by the dozens of thousands of questions or suggestions presented online for Premier Wen.