President Xi joins Guangdong delegation for panel discussion

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It has become almost a tradition for the Chinese president to attend a couple of panel discussions during the annual Two Sessions.

President Xi Jinping attended a panel discussion with National People's Congress deputies from the southern province of Guangdong on Wednesday.

For most of these deputies, it’s their very first time to meet the president in person. Lin Jindong said that he, as a grassroots deputy, was excited for the occasion.

Li Xia, a female NPC deputy, said what impressed her most is the close attention paid by the president to people’s livelihood.

“He said that whatever the people are unsatisfied with or unhappy about, the government will try to make it better. This impressed me a lot, because it shows our government prioritizes the interests of the people and cares about their livelihoods," Li said.

Guangdong has been at the frontline of China’s reform and opening-up drive since the policy was introduced 40 years ago. It now ranks among the country's top tier regions in terms of economic growth and free trade.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended a panel discussion with NPC deputies from Guangdong province on Wednesday. /Xinhua Photo

Li Qingquan, an NPC deputy as well as the president of Shenzhen University said President Xi’s sharing of his personal experiences, as well as the government’s firm stance on further opening-up were welcomed by the deputies.

“He said it took him 12 hours to go from Guangzhou to Shantou by jeep 20 years go. So we could imagine just how underdeveloped the region’s transportation system was at that time. 40 years of opening up and reform have brought dramatic changes," Li said.

Guangdong has become a dynamic innovation hub that gave birth to many Chinese high-tech giants, such as Tencent and Huawei. Ma Huateng, founder and CEO of Tencent, is an NPC deputy of Guangdong. He was among the deputies to raise their proposals to President Xi in person during the panel discussion.

"President Xi said there should be more high-tech firms like Tencent, and he encouraged us to make greater efforts. I think this capacity for innovation is also Guangdong province's competitive advantage. Personally, I made some proposals on how to boost the digital economy and help transform the real economy," Ma said.

The panel disscussion with NPC deputies will not only help the leadership get first-hand information on the situation there, but also reflects the government’s commitment to further pushing its opening-up and reform policies.