Though the Internet helps NPC delegates and CPPCC National Committee members better perform their duty, they should not be over-dependent on it. The public prefers face-to-face communication with people's representatives. So to better understand and solve people's problems, the NPC delegates and CPPCC National Committee members should interact with the grassroots in person, says an article in Beijing Times. Excerpts:

The online community becomes more active during NPC and CPPCC National Committee annual sessions because apart from ordinary netizens, people's representatives also use the Internet to publicize their proposals and solutions to people's problems.

The quality of a proposal to some extent reflects how a NPC delegate or a CPPCC National Committee member will perform at the meetings. By seeking netizens' opinions and suggestions, people's representatives add scientific and democratic perspectives to their proposals. Besides, the Internet brings NPC delegates and CPPCC National Committee members closer to the people.

Since the Internet is a good all-season platform for ordinary people to participate in discussions on national affairs, people's representatives should use it round the year to know their opinions. But it's a pity that NPC delegates and CPPCC National Committee members use it only during the annual sessions.

Regular online discussions with the public will help people's representatives conduct careful investigation and research on their proposals and come up with quality suggestions. But under no circumstances should they restrict their public interaction to netizens, because the lower-income group does not join online discussions. So people's representatives have no choice but to go to the grassroots for direct interaction with the people.

(China Daily 03/07/2011 page10)