Cultural Voices, Legislative and Policy-Making Partners at China’s Two Sessions

By Petra Williams

While covering the annual Two Sessions in China, I witnessed kindred spirits to my deep appreciation for cultural norms, the creative industries, and history.

Members of the national legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPCC) wore stunning ethnic clothing.

They engaged in activities that reflected their culture and represented their legislative and policy interests to protect and enhance their cultural and socio-economic values.

The outerwear signalled not only the ethnic origin of the wearer but also indicated that protecting their respective indigenous lifestyles was a top priority. These representatives came prepared to ensure that the needs of their regions would be included in the work program and national development agenda.

The first to catch my interest were the Ulan Muqir performing troupes, which have been bringing their art to herders across the grasslands of north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

According to the group’s leader, Altandari, who also serves as a member of the CPCC, China’s top political advisory body, the troupe remains dedicated to its original mission of serving the people and contributing to ethnic solidarity and progress.

Altandari also shared the troupe’s growth in size and the use of advanced performance equipment.  He said, “When the Ulan Muqir was first established in 1958, there were only nine people and a horse-drawn cart. Today, our troupe has expanded, and we have modern performance equipment. But our original mission, serving the people, has never wavered. Even when we had to travel long distances to remote rural areas, no matter how difficult or exhausting it may be, we persisted in bringing art to the people”.

He highlighted the significant improvements in the lives of farmers and herders in border areas and how his troupe has worked to blend traditional culture with modern technology, creating more impactful performances that resonate with the people and contribute to ethnic solidarity and progress.

He indicated that life in the border areas has improved significantly, and farmers and herders enjoy a better standard of living. He continued, “Our Ulan Muqir troupe is striving to innovate, drawing inspiration from China’s rich traditional culture to create works that resonate with the people and reflect their voices. At the same time, we are embracing the times by incorporating the ‘internet plus’ model, combining online and offline performances to reach audiences nationwide.”

He emphasized that his troupe would continue to create quality productions that resonate with their audiences and to “be passed down to successive generations, so as to contribute to the strengthening of the sense of Chinese identity and promoting ethnic solidarity and progress”.  He stressed that his troupe’s core mission of bringing art to the people remains unchanged; they remain committed to delivering exceptional performances that highlight unique cultural elements, always to serve the people.

Yang Yuni’s youthful vibrancy and outspoken commitment to serving her community and preserving her cultural heritage resonated with my ideals. She is a twenty-plus-year-old who was appointed to the CPPCC in 2023. She hails from the Hani ethnic group in southwest China’s Yunnan Province and has been dedicated to preserving the traditional ethnic culture.

While still in university, she founded her hometown’s Yuni Cultural and Arts Heritage Center.

The Center helps people, especially children, to have more opportunities to learn about Hani Terrace culture and to increase promotion of her community, which is also a world heritage site.

In her first stint as a new member of the National Committee of the CPPCC in 2023, she submitted a proposal titled “Suggestions on Strengthening the Protection and Inheritance of World Living Heritage.” Her intent then was that the country can issue guidance specifically for the protection of living cultural heritage and carry out pilot work to promote the green development of world heritage.

The day she caught my eye, she was resplendent in her ethnic wear, an intricately embroidered outerwear sewn by her grandmother, showcasing her deep cultural heritage. Yang Yuni has been dedicated to preserving the land and its cultural traditions. 

She made a submission during the Council meeting this year (2025) on integrating intangible cultural heritage into primary and secondary school education.

 Speaking to the media at the closing ceremony for the NPC session, Yang addressed several issues, including cultural heritage. She stated, “I now have a stronger determination to be a leader in promoting Chinese cultural trends. Whether it’s through innovating our clothing, creating cultural products, or blending traditional songs and dances with modern elements in a visually compelling way, I believe innovation is essential. This has gradually formed in me a broader and deeper thinking about how to care for the grassroots, the local people“.

Her parting words to the media reflected her passion and commitment to leadership: “I will share what I have thought and learned with my team, and people in my hometown as well. I have a clearer plan to promote intangible culture and contribute to rural education.”

The vision, work ethic, and commitment to cultural preservation while deriving the economic benefits for the broader community of Altandari and Yang Yuni resonated with my passion for similar cultural heritage.  I share their desire to preserve and further stimulate the cultural industries of their regions; this is my desire for Antigua and Barbuda.  

Their involvement in Two Sessions raised my appreciation for China’s broad-based, inclusive leadership. The willingness to recruit and appoint practicing specialists who are actively involved in various fields to the highest decision-making body speaks to people-centered decision-making.   

It was inspiring to see heritage practitioners who can directly address issues of the sector actively contributing to the overall legislative process from that perspective. 

My optimism is on high throttle that as my twin-island nation continues to strengthen its governance framework, there can be enhanced diversity and inclusiveness with more emphasis on the non-traditional areas of our economy. This inclusive framework from China provides case study options to enhance a people-centred top-level governance framework.