It would take three days for an ambitious Uygur to reach Beijing by train from Urumqi, but bridging the distance between the Uygur language and Putonghua would take longer.

That's why one of the proposals made by a member of China's top political advisory body is on developing language skills.

"The language gap is a handicap for many Uygur youth who have left home for big cities like Beijing and Shanghai. I am making a proposal to tackle the problem," said Kelimu, who arrived from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to attend the Third Session of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) yesterday.

He is proposing that more schools be built to teach Putonghua and English, and to have more courses offered in the two languages in Uygur-language schools.

Like Kelimu, the more than 2,000 CPPCC members have brought proposals from around China, mainly on development of the areas they come from.

CPPCC member Zhang Qianhong from Central China's Henan Province suggests that tourism be made a cornerstone in the development of China's Central Plains.

"The Central Plains region is where Chinese civilization originated and, therefore, has great potential for the development of the tourism industry," she noted.

Shan Danian from Central China's Hubei Province advised that Hannan District of Wuhan, capital of Hubei, be declared a duty-free zone like Hong Kong.

"The function of the district as a trading platform will enhance integration of provinces in Central China, eliminate regional blocs and facilitate the free flow of goods to more parts of the country," he noted.

The suggestions are not limited to regional development. Some CPPCC members' proposals are based on nationwide research.

Among them, Wang Dazhong and Zheng Shiling warned that China is making a "great leap" in "producing" PhDs.

(China Daily March 4, 2005)