Three stories showcasing how China’s democracy works (3)

Netizen “Yunfan”: “Grassroots can also have their voices heard”

Li Dianbo (“Yunfan”) looks at his suggestion for the 14th Five-Year Plan on the Leaders’ Message Board, an online forum affiliated with People's Daily Online that solicits public opinions. (Photo/Xinhua)

As part of the proposals of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), the Chinese government proposed improving the basic elderly care service system and developing a “mutually-assisted elderly care model in rural areas”. But not many are aware that this concept came from a netizen named "Yunfan".

The netizen’s real name is Li Dianbo, who is a grassroots village official in Dalad Banner, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In mid-August last year, he saw that the Chinese authorities were soliciting public opinions online for the compilation of the 14th Five-Year Plan. Going under the name “Yunfan”, Li left his comments on the internet platform The Message Board for Leaders, which is operated by People’s Daily Online, suggesting that China build up a mutual-assistance elderly care model in rural areas.

“The government should invest in the construction of public canteens and dormitories in rural areas, so that elderly people who are willing to can live together for free. Under this mode, the younger and more capable elderly could take care of the older and weaker elderly,” he wrote.

The advice soon received great attention from the drafting group. After holding discussions and revising the proposals several times, the group singled out the “implementation of the national strategy in response to population aging” as a separate category. The “mutual-assistance elderly care model” suggested by Li has also been formally written into the proposals.

This suggestion came from Li’s personal experience. His hometown is a small village in Shaanxi Province with a permanent population of over 1,200, of whom 800 are left-behind elderly, including his parents. “As my siblings and I are all working outside, my parents and neighbors often help each other in their daily lives. It was this that made me come up with this suggestion,” Li said.

He did not expect that his suggestions could eventually be written into the 14th Five-Year Plan document. “I was very excited to hear this news. I feel like I’ve had in-depth communication with the central government,” Li said.

Li Dianbo (“Yunfan”) sits down for an interview with People’s Daily Online. (Photo/People’s Daily Online)

During the compilation of the 14th Five-Year Plan, which sets the tone for China’s development from 2021 to 2025, the country solicited public opinions online since August 16, 2020, encouraging people from all walks of life to provide suggestions on the nation’s future social and economic development.

From August 16 to 29, online solicitations received one million pieces of public advice on the 14th Five-Year Plan. Among the participants, 28.8 percent are from government sectors and state-owned enterprises, 15.4 percent are professionals, 11 percent are students, while freelancers and privately or individually-owned businesses account for 9 percent of the total.

Conducting solicitations online is an unprecedented move in the history of the nation’s process of drafting the Five-Year Plan.

Li said this approach provides grassroots people like him with an opportunity to communicate on an equal footing with the leadership. “In this way, the wisdom of the people can be integrated into national policies, which is of great significance for the country’s development,” he noted.

“The combination of top-level design and public advice in compiling the 14th Five-Year Plan shows the merits of China’s socialist democracy,” said Yan Yilong, a research fellow with the Center for China Studies at Tsinghua University.