Chinese, German experts discuss democracy construction

China is in the right place and at the right time to develop grass root democracy and can learn how to arouse public participation from Germany.

Wang Yue, chairman of the Board of Director of the Chinese Association of Non-Government Organizations (CANGO), made the remarks in Beijing Monday at the opening of a forum of German and Chinese non-governmental organizations.

The two-day forum, at the joint sponsorship of the CANGO and the Germany-based Konrad Adenauer Foundation, has brought together Chinese and German experts to exchange views and experiences on developing grassroots democracy through the work of NGO's.

Sun Weilin, a senior official from the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs who is in charge of CANGO said, the world is undergoing a transformation toward economic globalization and cultural diversity in recent years. In the meantime, CANGO has also seen rapid progress and played an increasingly vital role in Chinese society. China has 290,000 registered NGOs.

The Chinese government see the development of NGOs as extremely important, said Sun. The Chinese government has formulated policies and regulations to ensure a positive environment for NGOs. NGOs in China are especially crucial in public service and charity sectors.

Wolfgang Kessler, minister-counselor of German embassy in Beijing, said that many countries realize that NGOs are socially responsible agencies that compliment the role of government.

Winfried Jung, Konrad Adenauer Foundation Resident Representative to China, said that the 500,000 NGOs in Germany have contributed a lot to society.

According to Wang Yue, cooperation between China and German NGOshas extended to various spheres such as legal aid, women's issues and the development of grass roots democracy.

Source: Xinhua