Full coverage: 2017 NPC & CPPCC Sessions

(Source: CGTN)

By CGTN reporter Wu Guoxiu

And in Beijing, CPPCC member Ma Zhiwei raises the issue for the 15th time.

During a panel discussion, CPPCC member Ma Zhiwei spoke for twenty minutes. He is worried about the future of the Three-River Source National Park. He thinks it should be built in a manner such that nature and man can co-exist.

"The Yellowstone National Park in the US is open to the public for three months out of a year, and is closed otherwise for protection purposes. Chinese national parks are different. We have a huge population. We can't move people out of them. We should handle the relations between human and nature, as well as protection and economic development," CPPCC member Ma Zhiwei said.

For Ma, the ideal is for Qinghai to be transformed into a province of national parks. It can serve as a model for other parts of the country.

"We can develop recreational, scientific research and educational programs. These meet the needs of both ecological protection and economic development," Ma said.

During his work report on Sunday, Premier Li Keqiang said China will carve out a plan for national parks this year.

A fellow CPPCC member said he hopes people will think of Ma Zhiwei whenever the national park is mentioned.

"He is the first member in our party to discover the issue and raise it. He has been working in Qinghai for several decades, and is also considering the bigger picture," CPPCC member Zheng Jainbang said.

Senior political advisor Ma Zhiwei says he is expecting to see more progress, after tackling the same issue for fifteen years. He says his persistence is motivated by the political consultation platform, which allows debates and differing options.