Xinhua
20th November 2023
China Focus. Democracy at fingertips
With his fingertips tracing the raised dots on a Braille document, Wang Yongcheng, a national legislator from east China's Fujian Province, said, "This is what democracy looks like. It's tangible, visible."
Wang was carefully reading the Braille versions of four replies to the suggestions he raised earlier this year, a historic first in the annals of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature.
Among the nearly 3,000 deputies to the 14th NPC, who commenced their five-year term in 2023, the 56-year-old Wang stands out as the sole individual with visual impairment.
In response to Wang's proposal addressing the licensing difficulties faced by blind masseurs and their clinics, the National Health Commission, China Disabled Persons' Federation, and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine engaged in face-to-face discussions with him in June this year. Together, they embarked on a collaborative research endeavor to tackle the issue.
Relevant agencies pledged to actively facilitate solutions enabling eligible blind masseurs to secure stable employment in the medical sector.