The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have issued the “Opinions on Strengthening Social Work in the New Era.”

Recently, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the “Opinions on Strengthening Social Work in the New Era” (hereinafter referred to as the “Opinions”), laying out plans to bolster social work in the new era.

The Opinions point out that social work is an essential component of the Party and state’s endeavors, vital to the Party’s long-term governance and the country’s enduring stability, as well as to social harmony, stability, and the people’s well-being. To strengthen social work in the new era, it is imperative to adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC and the successive plenary sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee, earnestly carry out the arrangements made at the Fourth Plenary Session, comprehensively apply General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on social work, deeply appreciate the decisive significance of the “two establishments,” enhance the “four consciousnesses,” fortify the “four confidences,” and ensure the “two safeguards.” We must uphold and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership over social work, remain committed to a people-centered approach, follow the mass line of the Party in the new era, uphold and develop the “Fengqiao Experience” for the new era, improve the social governance system of co-construction, co-governance, and shared benefits, prioritize Party building within new economic organizations, new social organizations, and new employment groups, continuously enhance the Party’s appeal, cohesion, and influence in emerging sectors, strengthen Party-led grassroots governance and grassroots political power building, intensify efforts to unite and serve the public, unswervingly pursue the path of socialist social governance with Chinese characteristics, promote high-quality development of social work in the new era, foster positive interactions between efficient governance and high-quality development and high-level security, and better serve and safeguard the overall work of the Party and the state.

The Opinions call for improving the institutional mechanisms under which the Party leads social work. They emphasize upholding the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, refining working mechanisms to implement the CPC Central Committee’s decisions and deployments on social work, perfecting systems for studying and applying the Party’s innovative theories—making General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on social work a key topic for study by theoretical study groups at all levels of Party committees (leading Party groups), and incorporating them into cadre education and training as well as social worker training programs. The Opinions also advocate enhancing theoretical publicity and outreach in the field of social work, extending such efforts to rural areas, communities, enterprises, new economic organizations, new social organizations, and new employment groups. A working framework should be established featuring unified Party committee leadership, coordinated oversight by Party social work departments, collaborative efforts among relevant agencies, and broad participation from social forces. Party committees (leading Party groups) at all levels are urged to attach great importance to social work, regularly deliberate and make arrangements, and address key challenges and difficult issues.

The Opinions further require strengthening Party building in emerging sectors, ensuring both organizational and functional coverage that is tangible and effective. Efforts should be intensified to advance Party building in new economic organizations, elevate the quality of Party work in non-public enterprises, strengthen Party building in internet platform companies, explore new approaches to Party building in technology-innovation-driven enterprises, provide targeted guidance for Party work in mixed-ownership enterprises, and, based on actual conditions, promote Party building among small and micro-enterprises, individual business households, and specialized markets. In addition, Party building in new social organizations should be reinforced through deepening reforms of social organizations, strengthening Party work in social groups, foundations, social service institutions, and intermediary organizations, and supporting urban and rural community-based social organizations to participate in grassroots governance and public services under the leadership of township (subdistrict) and village (community) Party organizations. Regulations governing the election and management of leaders in industry associations and chambers of commerce should be tightened, and ongoing efforts to improve professional conduct should continue. Furthermore, Party building among new employment groups should be strengthened, exploring effective ways to enhance Party organization within this group, reinforcing care, solidarity, and service management for new workers, improving algorithmic governance on internet platforms, and establishing a social security system tailored to the needs of new employment groups.

The Opinions also stress the need to strengthen Party-led grassroots governance and grassroots political power building. This includes reinforcing the leadership role of grassroots Party organizations, building and strengthening these organizations, continuously rectifying weak and disorganized grassroots Party units, improving grassroots oversight systems, and persistently addressing misconduct and corruption close to the people. Grassroots political power should be strengthened by establishing a township (subdistrict) administrative system led by the Party, coordinated between Party and government bodies, streamlined, efficient, and citizen-friendly, thereby enhancing capabilities in administrative enforcement, public service, deliberation and consultation, emergency response, and public safety. Ongoing efforts should be made to reduce burdens on the grassroots level and empower them, fully implementing lists of responsibilities for townships (subdistricts), improving access regulations for village (community) tasks, promoting the integration of multiple grid categories into single ones, and consolidating and deepening achievements in cleaning up and rectifying the practice of “unauthorized signage” by grassroots organizations. A grassroots governance system combining self-governance, rule of law, and moral governance under Party leadership should be improved, with enhanced rural governance and refined community governance, effectively leveraging civic covenants, residents’ agreements, and village rules, while also improving mechanisms for fostering family education and cultivating good family traditions.

The Opinions call for intensifying efforts to unite and serve the public. This includes strengthening and improving the handling of public complaints and petitions, deepening reforms of the petition system, advancing the rule of law in petition handling, and continuing to address problems at their source while resolving backlogged cases. Social group service management should be reinforced, with stronger ideological and political guidance, legal protection of the legitimate rights and interests of various social groups, smooth channels for voicing concerns, timely responses to diverse public concerns, and heartfelt efforts to resolve urgent, difficult, and pressing issues faced by the people. Regular channels for maintaining contact with the public should be expanded, leveraging the roles of Party organizations and members, mass organizations, deputies to the People’s Congress, and members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, aiming to resolve conflicts at their inception and defuse them at the grassroots level. Public suggestion collection efforts should be improved, with tiered and layered systems for soliciting public input, expanding and streamlining collection channels, and refining mechanisms for translating suggestions into concrete actions. Volunteer service should be developed, with a robust volunteer service system, cultivation of a culture of volunteering, identification and promotion of exemplary models, refinement of incentive and commendation measures, and stimulation of volunteer vitality.

The Opinions emphasize the importance of strengthening foundational support, including establishing a comprehensive, scientifically sound, pragmatic, and effectively functioning regulatory framework for social work. Efforts should be made to build infrastructure, improve urban and rural grassroots service systems, enhance service capabilities for new employment groups, expand social work service platforms, and support, standardize, and guide the development of social work service institutions. Information technology should be leveraged to advance smart community and digital village initiatives, refine mechanisms for responding to and processing public requests, and promote the digitalization of social work. Simultaneously, efforts should be coordinated to strengthen the ranks of social workers, drawing on the contributions of community workers, social work professionals, volunteers, and Party officials specializing in social work, thereby elevating the overall level of professional service. Finally, social work departments themselves should undergo internal capacity-building, cultivating a team of dedicated, highly qualified, people-oriented, socially responsible, and rigorously disciplined social work personnel.

Source: Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News