Thanks to the Internet, communication with the country's premier is only a
click away.
In the past two weeks, netizens nationwide have come up with a long list of
questions in various forums for Premier Wen Jiabao, who will meet domestic and
foreign press this morning in Beijing after the conclusion of the annual session
of the top legislature.
Thousands of foreigners have also raised questions on the China Daily
website, m.orobotics.cn.
The premier said two years ago that he read questions online and expressed
gratitude to the netizens.
One of those is Lao Lu, a farmer in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province. He
asks the premier how the government will protect farmers' interests when some
village officials sell their farmland for construction projects in the name of
"building a new countryside".
Farmers' rights have turned out to be one of the major public concerns, along
with corruption, education, the environment, medical care and soaring housing
prices.
Another hot topic is rising medical bills. Of the 3,500 questions on
www.xinhuanet.com, nearly a third are about the steep cost of healthcare.
An unnamed shop owner in Shandong Province says he spent all his savings on
heart surgery but considers himself lucky because many low-income patients can
only wait to die at home.
Some special groups also voice their hopes: Gays in Beijing wish the premier
can help them avoid being socially discriminated.
Some netizens are interested in which websites the premier surfs, and whether
he'd like to join an online dialogue.
Foreigners' primary concerns center on the rule of law and the environment.
But some seek advice for personal problems: A foreigner asked on
chinadaily.com.cn whether there is a law that makes life easier for foreigners
married to a Chinese because they often have problems getting a work or
residence permit in the country.
(China Daily 03/16/2007 page1)
