BEIJING — Chinese internet users have actively participated in an initiative launched by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to solicit public opinions and suggestions for the upcoming 20th CPC National Congress.

It was the first time in the history of the CPC that such an initiative had been launched to solicit opinions and suggestions from the whole Party and society on the work related to the Party's national congress.

It fully demonstrated the Party's commitment to democracy and its tradition to pool wisdom from the public.

"It's a good way to learn about people's needs and seek their advice through the internet. I give it a thumbs-up," commented a netizen.

"The online opinion solicitation activity pooled strength to promote development by inviting public participation," said a primary-level official from Fuzhou City in East China's Jiangxi province.

From April 15 to May 16, designated online platforms, including the websites and mobile apps of People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, and China Media Group, opened special sections for netizens to share their views and ideas.

The initiative was vigorously promoted online and offline through multiple new-media means such as posters and short videos displayed on screens in outdoor spaces and on public transport vehicles. Official data shows that relevant webpages were viewed about 660 million times during that period.

More than 8.54 million pieces of opinions and suggestions were collected, over 97 percent of which were submitted under real names.

The participants were from various sectors of society, including personnel from state organs and public institutions, employees of state-owned and private enterprises, and self-employed individuals.

Netizens spoke out on a wide range of topics, including full and strict Party governance, high-quality development, comprehensive reform and opening-up, whole-process people's democracy, law-based state governance, socialist cultural advancement, and ecological progress.

About one-third of the opinions were related to people's well-being, with the most-mentioned aspects being education, employment, healthcare, housing, elderly care, and social security.

Some applauded the "double reduction" policy in compulsory education and expressed the hope that the policy can be further improved and well implemented to meet its goal of easing the burden of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for primary and middle school students and cultivating high-caliber talents.

Some came up with ideas for enhancing elderly care services in rural areas and suggestions on consolidating the achievements in poverty reduction.

Based on their life and work experience, the comments mirrored the public feeling about the socio-economic development and their aspiration for a better future.

"The initiative is innovative in terms of promoting democracy and adopting a scientific approach to decision-making," said Qiang Ge, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

It is an effective way for the whole Party and society to contribute wisdom to national development and rejuvenation, and an epitome of the whole-process people's democracy, Qiang said.

The opinions and suggestions will be carefully studied and absorbed to offer references for work related to the upcoming congress.