China issues guidelines to advance social work and governance

(ECNS) -- China has issued guidelines on strengthening social work to better serve the public and support the country’s development.

Jointly issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, the guidelines call for upholding and enhancing the Party’s overall leadership over social work and keeping work people-centered.

They stressed the need to apply and develop the “Fengqiao Experience” to promote community-level governance in the new era and improve a social governance system based on collaboration, participation and shared benefits.

The guidelines also emphasized strengthening Party building in new types of economic and social organizations and among groups in new forms of employment. They called for establishing an efficient and people-friendly management system for township-level grassroots governments.

It is essential to smooth channels for voicing concerns and demands, expand mechanisms for maintaining regular contact with the public, and broaden avenues for collecting public suggestions, in order to better address the pressing concerns and difficulties that matter most to ordinary people, read the guidelines.

The directive also called for expanding volunteer services, strengthening the legal and regulatory framework for social work, and advancing its digital and smart-technology upgrade.

(By Intern Lin Qiaochu, Zhang Dongfang)