In 2025, the schedule of Chen Zhonghong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, recorded more than 60 duty-related activities. Behind each number were real lives: children in difficulty, the elderly living alone, and rural women eager to get trained to start businesses.
"Only by going to the grassroots and staying close to the people can we understand their real needs, and every positive response from them makes all the effort worthwhile," said Chen, who runs an agricultural company in Tianjin.
For her, fulfilling duties is not something that can be figured out sitting in a meeting room; what is needed is "walking into the hearts of the people".
The 58-year-old has been serving as a national political adviser for two terms. A longtime advocate for people's livelihoods, Chen has made the elderly and the children a major focus of her work over the past year.
During a visit to a nursing home last year, she found that the residents' daily routines and meals were well taken care of.
Through conversations, she came to realize that what the elderly lacked most was not material support, but companionship. "What they want most is simply someone to sit with them and talk to them."
The loneliness she witnessed prompted Chen to think about how to improve eldercare services. She began exploring a more integrated model that connects traditional services with social resources to offer companionship and explore AI applications in eldercare.
That same year, around Children's Day, Chen took part in activities for children with special needs, including those with autism and physical disabilities. She was struck not only by the challenges those children face, but also by the pressures faced by their parents.
In a period of high-quality national development, special-needs children must not be left behind, and they need more attention and support from society, Chen said.
These experiences have reinforced her belief that fulfilling duties requires not just "physical presence", but "genuine commitment", truly keeping people's urgent concerns and needs at heart, she said.
As a national political adviser from the Women's Federation group and an agribusiness entrepreneur, women's rights and development in rural areas, as well as rural vitalization, have long been her priorities.
Over the years, Chen has visited regions including the Xizang autonomous region and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and Gansu, Qinghai and Hubei provinces, establishing e-commerce platforms to help local women sell agricultural products, offering them technical training and support to engage in specialty industries such as ethnic handicraft production, and specialized planting and breeding.
With women now accounting for over 65 percent of the rural labor force, their contribution has become irreplaceable to rural vitalization, Chen said. "They are cultivators in the fields, creators of rural industries, and builders of harmonious and beautiful countryside."
In the context of integrated agricultural, cultural, and tourism development, women are often the backbone running homestays, providing tourism services, and developing local industries. Their resilience, Chen said, makes them a key force in comprehensive rural vitalization.
To ensure sustainable development in rural areas, Chen also helped build service platforms and communication mechanisms between women entrepreneurs and agricultural science and technology experts and policymakers.
She also launched training programs, which helped create jobs for more than 200 women in villages surrounding Tianjin.
"As a CPPCC National Committee member and a woman entrepreneur, I want to convey the values of independence, resilience, and confidence," Chen said. "When women grow stronger, they can fully demonstrate their capabilities across various sectors and contribute to national development."
Speaking of this year's two sessions, Chen said she will focus on using digital technology to empower rural women and improve eldercare services, as well as protecting the rights of women and children.
CPPCC National Committee members act as a bridge, bringing policies to the grassroots, and the voices from the grassroots back to the decision-making table, she said. "This is how we truly fulfill our duty to the country and our responsibility to the people."
Contact the writers at zhoujin@chinadaily.com.cn
