An inter-governmental program designed to promote basic level
democracy in rural China has been a success, authorities said
yesterday.
The EU-China Training Program on Village Governance is one of
the country's largest cooperative projects in the political
sector.
It aims to promote the development of village self-governance,
improve villagers, elected representatives and officials'
understanding and observance of existing laws and regulations, and
also improve democratic elections.
"The successful implementation of the program has promoted the
democratic process in rural areas and enhanced the long-term
understanding and teamwork between China and Europe," said Chai
Xiaolin, a deputy director of the Ministry of Commerce, at
yesterday's workshop on village self-governance.
Since its inception in May 2001, the program has organized 280
training courses and workshops on village elections and
transparency in village affairs, with these workshops attended by
30,000 participants, according to William Massolin, the program's
EU co-director.
The program is set to end in May.
Acclaimed as a "quiet revolution," China's village
self-governance system was first introduced in the early 1980s.
In this new rural governance system installed and protected by
law, the government relegates administrative power from the rural
areas while the villagers are authorized to elect their own village
heads and manage and supervise village affairs in an autonomous and
democratic manner.
It is also viewed as a significant step in China's politics.
(China Daily April 6, 2006)