Question: Where are you from?

Answer: I live in Beijing but I often travel to Xi�an.

Question: What is your profession?

Answer: Archaeologist, directors of the Xi�an Research Program and the Han & Tang Research Program of the Archaeology Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Question: What is the issue of most concern to people in your area of China?

Answer: People in the two places care about different things. The people in Xi�an are most concerned about unemployment. The people in Beijing pay much of their attention to environmental preservation, city construction and the protection of cultural relics.

Question: What proposals have you made, or what did you hope to accomplish at this session?

Answer: The Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics is being amended. Some people suggest adding a provision to it to allow the sale of antiques stored in museums. I, together with some other members, have put forward a proposal asking the Law Committee of the National People�s Congress (NPC) and the Office of Legislative Affairs under the State Council to check their effort.

Question: What have you seen achieved over the last five years?

Answer: The standing of social sciences has been somewhat elevated. And the government as well as common people has begun to realize the importance of the preservation of cultural relics.

Question: When the Conference is not in session, how do you exercise your responsibilities as a CPPCC member?

Answer: I prepare proposals and collect people�s opinions to convey to government at different levels. I don�t lack opportunities to contact people at the grass roots because we hire peasant-workers in Xi�an to do excavations. Of course, during this period of time I�m most interested in the protection of cultural relics.

Question: What is your hope for the future?

Answer: I hope I can continue to serve as a CPPCC National Committee member for the next five years because I am comparatively young among the members. This has been my first term, and I�ve just become to be familiar with the work of a CPPCC National Committee member. I think I can do better if I can serve for one more term.

(by Chen Chao, china.org.cn staff reporter, March 12)