The National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), together referred to as the two sessions, were recently convened in Beijing. Facing a new era, new journey, and new mission, which issues will the new deputies to the two sessions from the Open University of China (OUC) focus on?

Chai Shanshan, a student in Administrative Management from the OUC’s Shanghai branch, is also a NPC deputy and a mail clerk at the postal mail sub-processing centre of Shanghai Station, China Post Group. Born after 1985, he is the youngest of the delegates from Shanghai. He proposed that the government should increase investment in developing large-scale vocational skills training for employed migrant workers so as to enhance the their personal development abilities. He also proposed increasing the proportion of low rent housing aimed at urban migrant workers for cities with a high net population inflow, offering support for enterprises to create conditions for solving the housing problems of migrant workers and reduce their cost of living. Finally, he suggested promoting the construction of smart lockers for courier deliveries and carrying out the concentrated construction of standard smart lockers in residential and densely populated areas.

Duan Chunhua is a graduate of the OUC’s Tianjin branch. He is currently an alternate member of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), a member of the Standing Committee of Tianjin Municipal Committee, and director of the Standing Committee of Tianjin Municipal People's Congress. He is also the dean of the Tianjin School of Administration. Duan Chunhua believes that the Municipal People's Congress in Tianjin and its Standing Committee should fully implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress of CPC, which will require us to effectively improve political positioning, strengthen the "Four Consciousness", focus on the thorough implementation of Xi Jinping Thought, adhere to the decisions and arrangement of the CPC Central Committee and the construction of "Five Modernisation in Tianjin", fulfill their duties according to law, and give full play to the role of deputies to the NPC, in order to provide a powerful legal guarantee for the reform, development, and stability of Tianjin.

Sheng Maolin is a graduate of the OUC’s Hunan branch and a member of the CPPCC National Committee. He is currently chairman of the People’s Political Consultative Conference and the Secretary of the Party group in Tianjin, as well as a member of the Standing Committee of Tianjin Municipal Party Committee and Director of Tianjin Organisation Department. Sheng Maolin proposed that this year see the start of work by the fourteenth session of the People’s Political Consultative Conference in Tianjin. Against a background when socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, it is important for us to profoundly consider how to implement the spirit of the 19th CPC national congress and the NPC and CPPCC, further improve the work of the People's Political Consultative Conference in Tianjin, and earnestly follow and adapt to the new era. He added that, in order to follow the new era and make new achievements, we must unswervingly adhere to the Party’s leadership on the overall work of the People's Political Consultative Conference, focus on the central tasks, and serve the overall interests of Tianjin. Furthermore, we must give full play to the role of the People's Political Consultative Conference as an important channel and special consultative mechanism as part of the socialist deliberative democracy, and strengthen the self-construction of the People's Political Consultative Conference.

A report integrating news articles from Xinhua.net, Tianjin Daily, rmzxb.com.cn, 81.cn, and sina.com , by OUC News Centre