Attending the annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People?s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) for the very first time, woman member, Ai Xu, from the De?ang Ethnic Group in southwest China?s Yunnan Province brings with her a farming proposal and the hope of all the De?ang people. Her proposal for harvesting the border areas in her local region also includes suggestions to aid local farmer prosperity.
Ai Xu is the only De?ang member present at the on-going CPPCC session.
Ai says, ?In recent times, prices of sugar cane and lemon in Ruili have been relatively low and this impacts on local farmer income. My proposal suggests ways to help product prices and let local farmers prosper.?
?The De?ang people wish that I can bring their hopes to the CPPCC. There are some 10,000 De?ang people ? less compared with other ethnicities in China. Some of the children in De?ang don?t go to school because they are too poor. They have asked me to talk of their situation to the CPPCC and I hope that the central government will implement policies that will continue to support and develop life for ethnic groups in the border regions.?
(China.org.cn by Chen Ji and translated by Liu Yuming, March 8, 2003)
