Guest Opinion: Voices of change: A Yunnan woman's journey in reshaping her hometown through "two sessions"

According to the Electoral Law of the National People's Congress (NPC) and Local People's Congresses of China, NPC deputies shall be broad-based. To ensure this, seats are allocated to women, ethnic minorities and other diverse demographic groups in the NPC.

Among over 1.4 billion Chinese, workers, farmers and villagers of ethnic minorities elect and send their own NPC deputies, regardless of gender, ethnicity or family background. In 2025, there are approximately 2.77 million deputies across the five levels of people's congresses, from the national level down to province, city, county and township levels.

by Xin Ping

"Kindergartens are facing a shortage of beds and teaching aids," Yu Feixia said, pausing a video clip to illustrate the challenges she had observed in her hometown to a visiting delegation from the Ministry of Finance during their dialogue with local community members.

Less than a year later, Yu's request was granted. By the start of the 2025 spring semester, the supplies had arrived in her hometown Weixi, a county in Yunnan primarily inhabited by the Lisu ethnic group.

"The school year is off to a good start. Kids in 14 village kindergartens are now sleeping comfortably in new beds, and new teaching aids are available," she told a journalist.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Yu's close-up shots, featuring kindergartens, roads, building facades and other corners of the county, have become a vital tool in her role as a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC). Capturing these moments has become her daily routine, allowing her to convey the needs and hopes of local residents to government officials.

DOWN TO EARTH

At the recently concluded "two sessions" -- the annual meetings of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the top political advisory body, Yu and many other deputies representing various counties and regions gathered in Beijing, making the best use of their time to bring legislators up to date on the daily concerns of the people.

According to the Electoral Law of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses of China, NPC deputies shall be broad-based. To ensure this, seats are allocated to women, ethnic minorities and other diverse demographic groups in the NPC.

Among over 1.4 billion Chinese, workers, farmers and villagers of ethnic minorities elect and send their own NPC deputies, regardless of gender, ethnicity or family background. In 2025, there are approximately 2.77 million deputies across the five levels of people's congresses, from the national level down to province, city, county and township levels.

Elected by the people, these deputies know first-hand of the needs and concerns of their neighbors and communities. In a vast and populous country with nearly 3,000 counties and over 660,000 villages, these deputies ensure that no village is put to the back seat of decision-makers' mind in Beijing.

FROM THE PEOPLE, TO THE PEOPLE

Yu, a member of the Lisu ethnic group, speaks the Lisu language, which enables her to engage effectively with the people she represents.

"Filming videos or taking pictures is just the beginning," Yu said. "I talk with people in villages and towns across the county. On weekends, I often make rounds to village committees to stay updated on their concerns."

At this year's "two sessions," Yu focused intently on the income levels of the local community she represents.

"During my visits to other counties, I have noticed that each has its own pillar industry. However, in my hometown Weixi, we lack such an industry," Yu candidly admitted.

Weixi boasts several local specialties, such as yam, pecan oil and Holboellia latifolia (known as "August melon" in Chinese). Yet, limited customer access and poor transportation infrastructure have kept logistics costs persistently high, discouraging farmers from scaling up cultivation.

During the sessions, Yu proposed enhancing Weixi's connection to the highway network. This improvement would not only make travel more convenient for villagers but also boost the sales of fresh produce and stimulate tourism, promising a better life for the local community.

Last year, after listening to the government work report delivered by Premier Li Qiang, Yu held a video call with teachers in her county and shared details of an initiative to improve basic education outlined in the report. She then followed up closely on how it had been carried out at the village kindergartens and pinpointed their specific needs. Within a year, these remote kindergartens had their needs met.

And now, Yu has set her targets for 2025: reach out to even more people in her community and actively listen to their needs.

With such dedication, Yu continues to ensure that the voices of Weixi's people are heard by her, and by many more.

Editor's note: Xin Ping is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News Agency, Global Times, China Daily, CGTN, etc. He can be reached at xinping604@gmail.com.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Xinhua News Agency.■