On the morning of January 12, 2023, Members of the eighth Hainan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) from various parties and groups, all ethnic groups, and all walks of life in Hainan gathered together for the opening of the committee’s first session in Haikou. During the session, they will closely focus on the major issues of Hainan’s economic and social development, address critical concerns, formulate prudent strategies, and make practical moves to promote Hainan’s comprehensive deepening of reform and opening up and contribute their wisdom and strength to the construction of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics.

On the morning of January 12, 2023, the first session of the eighth Hainan Provincial Committee of the CPPCC opened in Haikou. (Photo: Feng Shuo / Hainan Daily)

The first session of the eighth Hainan Provincial Committee of the CPPCC opened in Haikou on the morning of January 12, 2023. The opening ceremony was presided over by the presiding officer, Li Rongcan. (Photo: Song Guoqiang / Hainan Daily)

Xiao Yingzi, vice chairman of the Seventh Hainan Provincial Committee of CPPCC, delivers a work report. (Photo: Yuan Chen / Hainan Daily)

Members of the eighth Hainan Provincial Committee of CPPCC applaud the work report. (Photo: Yuan Chen / Hainan Daily)

Upon their arrival in Haikou ahead of the opening of the two sessions, representatives and committee members shared their advice and suggestions.

Fu Huajin, a representative of the Provincial People’s Congress from Dongfang City, said, “I am very much looking forward to this year’s two sessions!” Fu Huajin is an inheritor of the Li folk song tradition in Dongfang City. According to Fu, after being elected as a representative to the Provincial People’s Congress, she went around Dongfang City researching how to protect, pass down, and consolidate the development of Li folk song and dance and other excellent traditional cultures of the Li people.

Liu Xiaojie, a representative of the Provincial People’s Congress from Haikou, is a bus driver. He said, “I have collected a lot of opinions and suggestions from the public. I will express the public’s wishes regarding speeding up the construction of bus stops and optimizing their layout to improve urban public transport services.”

Provincial People’s Congress representative Lu Bingrong has been working in elementary education in Hainan for more than two years and has witnessed the rapid development of the education sector in the province. “Establishing and improving high-quality elementary education system is of great significance to the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port.” Lu Bingrong planned to offer advice and suggestions on increasing support for struggling rural schools, and streamlining the administration and evaluation of primary and secondary school teaching qualifications at this year’s two sessions.

Fu Yong’an, a member of the provincial CPPCC, said he would propose innovative investment and financing policies for water management projects during the meeting, which are vital to the construction of Hainan’s ecological civilization. “I hope that Hainan will fully utilize funds from the central funding pool and coordinate the use of provincial budget funds to revitalize social capital investment and innovate the special investment and financing policy for water management projects.”

“As I participate in the provincial two sessions this year, I profoundly feel the heavy burden of responsibility and the glory of my mission.” A member of the Provincial CPPCC from the legal profession, Li Jun, added that this year he had brought a proposal regarding promoting the development of homeowners’ committees in the province. He hopes to facilitate the construction of Hainan’s homeowners’ committees, help resolve social conflicts, and enhance residents’ sense of security and happiness.

As of 6 pm on January 11, the CPPCC session’s proposal group had received 512 proposals, many of which focus on optimizing the business environment, education and medical development, and ecological environment conservation.