Liaison stations help NPC deputies reach ordinary people nationwide

China's top lawmaking body, the National People's Congress (NPC), has established over 200,000 representative centers and liaison stations across the country, greatly facilitating communication between the NPC deputies and the people, and allowing issues to be more effectively addressed at the grassroots level.

The liaison stations serve as important bases for NPC deputies to carry out activities during the recess of the highest lawmaking body. There, they can listen to public opinions and learn more about people's concerns. Through these stations, the deputies can better solve hot and difficult issues such as garbage classification, residential compound improvement, and dog owner etiquette awareness.

"So far, more than 200,000 representative centers and representative liaison stations have been established across the country, basically achieving full coverage of towns and neighborhoods," said Zhu Hengshun, director of the training bureau under the representative working committee of the NPC Standing Committee.

Aojiao is a beautiful fishing village in east China's Fujian Province. However, the dilapidated facilities on the waterway have affected the entry and exit of fishing boats, making clearing the waterway an urgent issue for locals.

At the deputy liaison station in the village, NPC deputy Lin Huazhong communicated with local fishermen over the problem and a solution was reached to ensure fishermen's safety and smooth operations of at sea. "We will get rid of all the old fishing facilities at once. As for the still usable fishing facilities that are occupying the harbor channels, we will clear them out within 20 days," said Lin, who is also head of Aojiao Village.

At a deputy liaison station in Beijing's historic Qianmen Street, NPC deputy Wang Rui is able to listen to the demands and suggestions of businessmen and residents face to face, and discuss with them how to promote the rejuvenation of time-honored brands on the street.

"In such a space as the liaison station, ordinary people can speak freely, so we deputies can hear what they really think and are concerned about," Wang said.

Liaison stations help NPC deputies reach ordinary people nationwide

Multiple handheld pager explosions struck Beirut and the southeastern and northeastern regions of Lebanon on Tuesday, leading to a temporary internet shutdown in the southern suburbs of the capital city, according to China Media Group (CMG) reporter Ci Xiaoning.

"I am currently at the entrance of a major hospital in Beirut, Lebanon's capital. Around 15:30 today, there were several explosions in the southern suburbs of Beirut. My Lebanese colleague, who lives very close to the area, experienced an immediate loss of internet connectivity. Reports have since confirmed that many handheld pagers were involved in the explosions," Ci reported outside a hospital in Beruit.

Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad confirmed that the explosions resulted in at least nine deaths and about 2,800 injuries, with approximately 200 people in critical condition. The injured are being transferred to hospitals.

In a statement, Hezbollah said it is conducting security and scientific investigations to identify the reasons behind these explosions, adding that the group is "at the highest level of readiness to defend Lebanon and its people."

In a separate statement, the Shiite group blamed Israel for "this criminal attack," vowing to retaliate.

The Lebanese Council of Ministers stressed that the government, shortly after the deadly explosions, began contacting the concerned countries and the United Nations to hold the perpetrators accountable.

Israel has yet to comment on Tuesday's blasts. According to media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a security assessment meeting at the HaKirya military base in Tel Aviv on Tuesday to address the implications of the explosions.

CMG reporter says internet shutdown following deadly pager blasts in Lebanon