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R Fletcher-Cooke Esq
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10 MAR HOJ
BRITISH EMBASSY
PEKING
4 March 1987
59
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Dear Richard,
VISIT TO YUNNAN
1.
K
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1/3
I visited Kunming and Dali from 18 - 25 February. Some of the subjects which I covered during my visit have been reported separately, but the purpose of this letter is to give you an account of my general impressions and of several other meetings which I held with local officials.
2. On 25 February I met with He Bo, Pu Zhao and Miao Yidong, who are all national representatives of the National Peoples Congress (NPC). I told them that I wished to discuss the role of the NPC in Yunnan, and local elections. All three were more interested in discussing the structure of the NPC, than the way in which it actually operated. We did not have a particularly enlightening discussion: much of the information which I was given was read out from documents and only Mr He was really prepared to go beyond that. We had quite an interesting discussion about the mechanism whereby NPC delegates at national and provincial levels can reflect the opinions of those below them. Mrs Miao, who is an engineer in a Kunming research institute, told me that there was no formal structure and that it was up to the individual to take the initiative in contacting his local representative. The representative would decide whether action would be taken on any opinions or suggestions in the light of their own judgement, and after discussions with the leader of the unit of the person who had produced the original ideas. If a suggestion was not accepted, explanations would be given to the leader of the unit concerned to pass on to the proposer as appropriate. It all seemed rather cumbersome and I gained the impression that it was rare for such suggestions to be received. Interestingly, Mrs Miao told me that her work as an NPC delegate did not take more than two days a month, except when the NPC met in plenary session.
3. We also spoke about local elections. Mr He told me that the first stage of local elections had been successfully completed recently. He also said proudly that there had been an occasion when neither of the selected candidates had been
/elected