It is natural to inquire about the situation of the China
Association for the Promotion of Democracy when interviewing
Xu
Jialu, the association's chairman, and Xu responded by talking
about the association with as much enthusiasm as if he were
enumerating his family valuables. He especially mentioned the
association's principle of consolidating old fronts and developing
new ones.
For historical reasons, Xu Jialu said, the participation of the
China Association for the Promotion of Democracy in the
deliberations and the administration of state affairs for a long
time has been focused on the fields of culture, education, science
and technology. However, with the coming of a new age, China has
implemented a policy with economic construction as the main focus
of work. Hence, the association, besides continuing to play a role
in the fields of culture, publishing and education, is also
involved in promoting industry and agriculture. The recent
"scientific and technological training program for rural young
people," jointly sponsored by the association, the Ministry of
Science and Technology and the Ministry of Agriculture is
considered one of the "new fronts."
Xu
explained that the association had suggested to the CPC Central
Committee and the State Council that "sustainable development"
should be enriched by "rational development and utilization of
resources." The suggestion was approved by the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference and the National People's
Congress in 1999. This year, the association advanced a new
proposal that "ecological protection" should include wetlands as
well as forestry and the maritime environment.
Xu
said that the countryside, agriculture and farmers' livelihood are
the three key concerns of all democratic parties. Recently, the
association started a project entitled "Spark Program Stretching to
the Western Region" by cooperating with the Ministry of Science and
Technology. A seminar in this respect has been planned in Xi'an in
June. In fact, before the operation of the project, the association
had helped Shaanxi Province establish its own Spark Program bases
which will start operation this year.
In
regard to education, as suggested by the association, children in
poverty-stricken areas will have free text books this year, and
prices for text books in some other areas also will be reduced.
Tomorrow: Xu Jialu, who is also a professor of Chinese
literature at Beijing Normal University, talks about his taking a
leading role in creating China's first law on use of language and
script.
(By Yan Xixia, china.org.cn staff reporter, translated by Li
Jingrong March 9, 2002)