Less is more at annual meets (2)

Fewer fresh flowers were seen, and red carpets were not rolled out to welcome meeting participants in many regions including Shanghai and Guizhou province.

Shanghai and Shanxi suggested participants use public transport and arranged 15 direct shuttles to travel between subway stations and meeting venues.

No police cars were deployed to escort vehicles carrying meeting participants, and traffic was not suspended to make way for them.

"I've taken the subway since the first day of the congress, and I've found a great many of deputies have done the same thing in the past four days," said Wu Jiang, a Shanghai lawmaker.

Many provinces and cities are using online systems to reduce printing.

Shanghai continued its operation of the online submitting system and sent out e-copies of documents to the deputies instead of printing them out.

Wu added that he is very satisfied with the online submitting system of written comments and proposals, which is convenient and saves energy and resources.

The online system has also been applied in other places including Tianjin and Guizhou.

In Tianjin, more lawmakers and political advisers have become aware of using both sides of a piece of paper while taking notes, people.com.cn reported.

In addition, dining expenses have been reduced.

The organizer of Shanghai People's Congress session offered only six hot dishes served buffet style.

"The buffet allows us to choose what we like and avoid the unnecessary waste of food, which is a very wise decision," said Shanghai lawmaker Zhuang.

In Guizhou, meeting participants are served with hot water instead of tea.

"Replacing the tea with hot water will definitely minimize the costs of labor and materials," said Wang Shaoer, a member of the provincial political advisory body.

Hebei province has come up with another way to save resources.

Passes that are valid for five years were given to deputies and committee members.

Passes will be kept by the organizers after the first-year congress and be reused for the following four years. Lawmakers and political advisers serve five-year terms. They used to be given a new pass each year.

"It is good to prevent the waste of those certificates every year, and we can keep it as a souvenir after attending the five-year congress," said He Bingqun, a political adviser in Hebei.

We recommend:
A 'high-risk stage' for officials in the future	Why world focus on China's anti-corruption	China won't follow Western powers' old path
'Two Sessions style' of CPPCC meeting	China calls for opposition to self-immolation	Billionaire heiresses debuts at 'two sessions'