Fijian parliament speaker praises whole-process people's democracy in law-making process

China's law-making process, rooted in the principle of whole-process people's democracy, is highly inclusive, as it enables grassroots participation in consultations and ensures effective implementation of laws, according to Fijian Speaker of Parliament Filimone Jitoko.

In an exclusive interview with China Media Group in Beijing, Jitoko shared his firsthand experience of China's legislative process during a visit to a legislative outreach office in Shanghai.

The concept of "whole-process people's democracy" was first put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping during an inspection tour of Shanghai in 2019. Its essence is that people get to discuss their own affairs to reach the greatest common ground based on the wishes and needs of the entire society.

As a renowned lawyer in the South Pacific with over 40 years of experience, Jitoko spoke highly of China's legislative system, which he believes ensures that every individual has a role in the process.

"I am a lawyer by profession and I have practiced as a judge for a long time, and one of the things that always occur when people appear before the court is that they don't know about the law. It brings me to the consultation process of the law, where the grassroots levels are involved in making submissions on how the law should operate and [how it] affects them. If the law proceeds right to its conclusion when it is enacted into law, they become part of it, they own the law as it were. So they say that's our law, and that is why it helps the population to follow the law because it's part of what they want to bring in and to govern their communities," said Jitoko.

In addition to Chinese citizens, foreign residents in China also have the opportunity to participate in the legislative process, which Jitoko found to be more inclusive than he had initially imagined.

"The other important element is that in these communities, there are not only Chinese, there are also people who are non-Chinese, and they also make submissions. So, it's not only that the laws that have been created are made from the locals but also their own visitors who will become residents. And that to me becomes much more all-embracing law," he said.

As a legal professional, Jitoko further emphasized the advantages of China's whole-process people's democracy, noting that it is a model other countries could learn from.

"It makes it much clearer to me, understanding the process of democracy in the Chinese sense. It's much more towards the all-embracing nature of consultation, which we are talking about, and the involvement of the people even to the grassroots level and be part of that decision-making. It makes it important in terms of their following the law, owning the law and being part of the system," he said.

Fijian parliament speaker praises whole-process people's democracy in law-making process

Los Angeles is grappling with rising costs and delays in its wildfire recovery process, as tariffs on construction materials imposed during the Trump administration compound the challenges.

The devastating wildfires recently destroyed over 17,000 homes and businesses, leaving communities urgently pushing forward with reconstruction.

The Trump administration has recently rolled out new tariffs on a wide range of construction materials, including steel and aluminum, from the main trading partners of the United States, such as Canada, Mexico, and China. This has significantly driven up costs, further complicating the recovery efforts

"As the city and county of Los Angeles move aggressively to rebuild the wildfire areas in Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and up in Altadena, to build those houses, we need softwood lumber, aluminum, and steel from Canada," said Gene Soroka, executive director of Port of Los Angeles.

While the tariffs aim to boost domestic production, the transition will take time. In the interim, the shortage of materials is creating ripple effects across the construction sector.

"We are still handling a lot of imported steel, despite the tariffs because there's not enough American manufacturing of steel right now. So, one of the unintended consequences that this has done the wrong way is you don't have enough steel. That impacts construction, that impacts economic growth across the board," said Weston Labar, chief strategy office of Waterfront Logistics.

According to the Associated General Contractors of America, housing costs could skyrocket by almost 50 percent, widening the gap between insurance payouts and actual rebuilding expenses. It may force many homeowners to delay or even abandon their reconstruction plans, prolonging the housing shortage in Los Angeles.

Tariffs are also driving up prices for other products, impacting recovery efforts.

"We need appliances from Mexico, furniture from China, and all of those prices are going up, whether anticipatory, or real as these imports are coming across our port complex. So, we've got to have some pretty detailed discussions about this because families who want to rebuild, businesses who want to get back into the office are going to be impacted by these tariffs one way or another," said Soroka.

As Los Angeles strives to recover, the economic uncertainty caused by tariffs presents a formidable obstacle.

Tariffs add strain to Los Angeles wildfire recovery efforts