Media's focus should not just rest on celebrities at the CPPCC meeting

Chinese actor Jackie Chan. [Photo/Agencies]

"Why do we have so many entertainment stars in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee? Can they perform the role well?" This question has become popular online. Media reports about them have distracted attention from the serious discussions taking place about policies. Comments:

Whenever some entertainment star rises, he or she will almost surely be given CPPCC membership at some level. This practice is not exactly in line with the advisory role of the CPPCC in the political system. The CPPCC needs to rally social common sense, and discuss policies that are related with people's interests; there is no evidence showing any entertainment star can do this better than others. It is time to change this distorted practice.

gmw.cn, March 2

There are many entertainment stars among Japan's congress members, too, but they never get any special attention from the media; they just participate in congress sessions like other ordinary members. So the problem is not why we have so many entertainment stars in the CPPCC National Committee, but why our journalists always run after them.

Jiang Feng, editor-in-chief of jnocnews.jp, March 4

Celebrities always make the headlines - this might be normal at other times of the year, but when it happens during the most serious political meetings of the nation, there is a problem. The CPPCC National Committee and the National People's Congress are meant to discuss national policies, and too much attention on celebrities overshadows this.

Xiang Songzuo, chief economist at the Agricultural Bank of China, via Sina micro blog, March 4

An entertainment star is not necessarily a bad CPPCC member, but some of them obviously lack the skills to discuss political matters, and their advice becomes a joke. We don't mean that entertainment stars should not become CPPCC members; we just oppose the old practice of making every one of them a member.

Xinhua Daily, March 2

The CPPCC is a symbol of unity among different political forces in China, so it needs members from various professions. However, some of the members, such as entertainment stars, are neither interested in nor good at discussing political affairs; why not give them honorary membership? They get the honor they deserve, and remain free from the burden of participating in the annual meetings?

Ge Jianxiong, a professor on politics at Fudan University, March 3