Yang Yuantian: Promoting Chinese-path Modernization through the Modernization of Primary-level Governance [1]
The modernization of primary-level governance [1] is a vital component of Chinese-path modernization and a foundational project for the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. It concerns the very foundation of the Party's governance and the vital interests of the people. In May of this year, during an inspection of Shandong, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to "act as a vanguard in further comprehensively deepening reform," setting forth clear requirements for Shandong to advance reforms across all sectors. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee pointed out the necessity to persist in and develop the "Fengqiao Experience" [2] for the New Era, to refine the urban and rural primary-level governance system that combines autonomy, the rule of law, and the rule of virtue [3] under the leadership of Party organizations, and to improve the social governance system based on collaboration, participation, and common interests. We must deeply study and implement the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches during his inspection of Shandong. We must unswervingly follow the path of primary-level governance with Chinese characteristics, strengthen Party building as the lead for primary-level governance, and continuously advance the modernization of primary-level governance to provide strong support for the realization of Chinese-path modernization.
The Party Leading the People in Constant Exploration and Practice of Primary-Level Governance Modernization
When the primary level is strong, the nation is strong; when the primary level is secure, the world is at peace. throughout thousands of years of historical evolution, the Chinese nation has formed rich ideas regarding national systems and governance, including the concept of "Great Unity" (Datong) embodied in the phrase "When the Great Way prevails, the world is shared by all" [4], and the "People-as-Base" (Minben) thought expressed as "The people are the foundation of the state; when the foundation is solid, the state is at peace" [5]. These ideas have accumulated a wealth of experience in primary-level governance. Reviewing the Party's century-long history of struggle, the distinct orientation of "focusing on the primary level" has run through the great practice of the Chinese revolution, construction, and reform led by the CPC, playing a critical role in maintaining national security and social stability.
Entering the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has persisted in combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with China’s excellent traditional culture (the "Two Combinations"). They have continuously advanced the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. From the height of consolidating the Party’s governing foundation and safeguarding the security of state power, they have proposed a series of new viewpoints and judgments regarding primary-level governance, continuously advancing innovation in theory, practice, and institutions.
Continuous deepening of understanding. Since the 18th National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping has deeply analyzed the new situations and problems facing our country’s primary-level governance, delivering a series of important discourses on strengthening and innovating governance. He has emphasized that "we must handle the foundational work of primary-level governance modernization well," and "we must regard grasping the primary level and laying the foundation as a long-term strategy and a fundamental policy for consolidation, never relaxing for a moment." He has stated that "serving and benefiting the masses must be the starting point and the ultimate goal of primary-level governance." These remarks profoundly reveal the essential characteristics, goals, tasks, and methodological paths of primary-level governance with Chinese characteristics. They scientifically explain major theoretical questions such as why and how to promote the modernization of the primary-level governance system and capacity in the New Era. This has comprehensively deepened our Party's understanding of the laws governing primary-level governance within the process of Chinese-path modernization, providing ideological guidance and a fundamental follow-back for accelerating progress. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourses on primary-level governance contain profound theoretical, historical, and practical logic. Only by deeply understanding and accurately grasping them—and effectively transforming them into political, ideological, and active consciousness—can we ensure that Party-building-led primary-level governance and the construction of primary-level political power always advance in the correct political direction, truly transforming the Party's leadership and the advantages of the socialist system into governance efficacy.
Continuous refinement of strategy. Institutions are the core and key to primary-level governance. Since the 18th National Congress, we have refined various institutions through comprehensively deepening reform, making the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics more mature and defined, and significantly improving the level of modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee proposed "accelerating the formation of a scientific and effective social governance system to ensure the society is both full of vitality and harmonious and orderly." The 19th National Congress wrote the Party’s leadership over primary-level social governance into the Party Constitution, providing an internal Party regulatory basis for leading governance through Party building. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee designated the construction of a new pattern of primary-level social governance as a major task. In 2021, the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Strengthening the Modernization of the Primary-Level Governance System and Governance Capacity" set forth requirements to "promote the healthy interaction between government governance, social regulation, and resident autonomy, and to improve the socialization, rule of law, digitalization, and professionalization of primary-level governance." This clarified the development direction of primary-level governance across subjects, processes, forms, and capacities. The Report to the 20th National Congress further emphasized "persisting in the distinct orientation of focusing on the primary level" and "promoting primary-level governance led by Party building." Taking institutional construction as the main thread, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee pointed out that the overall goal of further comprehensively deepening reform is to continue improving and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and to promote the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. From the 18th to the 20th central committees, the Party's deployments and reforms regarding primary-level governance have been both consistent and progressive (advancing with the times). This reflects the Party's active exploration of this contemporary issue, demonstrating a more comprehensive understanding and more refined expression of the needs of the era and practical requirements. This represents not only a new leap in the understanding of the laws of building socialism with Chinese characteristics but also points toward a new vision for the road of Chinese-path modernization.
Continuous enrichment in practice. The viewpoint of practice is the primary and basic viewpoint of Marxist epistemology. Since the 18th National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has persisted in and strengthened the Party's leadership over primary-level governance. The primary-level governance system has been increasingly perfected, and governance capacity has been continuously enhanced, achieving significant results. The primary-level governance system has demonstrated its unique value and advantages during "major battles and major tests" such as poverty alleviation, rural revitalization, epidemic prevention and control, and earthquake and flood resistance, providing strong support for Chinese-path modernization. By leading primary-level governance through Party building, a series of targeted measures have been introduced to resolve the prominent problem of "the small horse pulling the big cart" (xiǎo mǎ lā dà chē) [6] in governance, effectively reducing burdens and empowering the primary level. The capacity of Party organizations in townships (sub-districts) and villages (communities) to lead primary-level governance has been continuously improved. We have innovated mechanisms to organize and mobilize the masses, vigorously developed primary-level consultative democracy, and widened channels for various groups to participate in primary-level governance in an orderly manner. Channels for the masses to express their demands have become more fluid, and their enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity in participating in governance have continuously increased. We persist in and develop the "Fengqiao Experience" for the New Era to achieve the goal of "resolving small matters within the village, big matters within the town, and ensuring contradictions are not passed to higher levels." We deeply study and apply the experience of the "Green Rural Revival Program" [7] to continuously improve rural governance. We have vigorously promoted the work of reducing burdens on the primary level and empowering it, popularizing experiences such as "Four Down to the Primary Level" [8], "Shouting the Whistle in Streets and Townships, Reporting by Departments" [9], and "Immediate Response to Complaints" (jiè sù jí bàn). The Second Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee decided to establish the Social Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and social work departments for Party committees at the provincial, municipal, and county levels. Through the concentration of responsibilities and institutional integration, this strengthens the Party's comprehensive leadership over social work, consolidates the Party's governing and mass foundations, and better transforms the advantages of the Party's leadership and the socialist system into governance efficacy.
Gathering Powerful Synergy to Advance Primary-Level Governance in the New Era
Only with a fixed strategy can there be fixed success. Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of a vast population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development. This requires us to follow the path of primary-level governance modernization by both strengthening the foundations—adhering to the essential requirements and distinct characteristics of Chinese-path modernization—and by upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground to assist in achieving the goals of Chinese-path modernization. We must master and apply the correct reform methodology, utilizing forceful measures and scientific methods to ensure that reform and development proceed at a steady pace and achieve lasting results.
Uphold the Party's overall leadership. Chinese-path modernization is socialist modernization led by the CPC; the Party’s leadership is the fundamental guarantee for further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization. We must deeply study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourses and instructions on primary-level governance. We must persist in arming our minds with the Party's innovative theories, viewing governance from the height of the Party's governing foundation, the direction of public support, and the long-term peace and stability of the nation. We must have a clear understanding of the importance and urgency of strengthening primary-level governance, clarifying the guiding ideology, principles, and key tasks, and reinforcing the distinct orientation of focusing on the primary level. We must strengthen Party building, leverage the role of primary-level Party organizations, explore diverse ways to deeply integrate Party building with governance, and gather forces from all sides to descend to the front lines of the primary level. This will build a pattern of urban and rural primary-level governance characterized by collaboration, participation, and common interests under the leadership of Party organizations. We must grasp the major requirement of coordinating development and security, consciously analyzing the social situation, formulating social policies, and advancing social work from a global and political height to prevent political problems and risks. We must actively improve the Party’s organizational system in the field of social work, strengthening political leadership over various social organizations, social groups, and social forces, effectively transforming the Party's political and organizational advantages into work and governance advantages. We must strengthen prospective, strategic, and countermeasure-oriented research to provide theoretical support for governance innovation and to tell the "China story" of primary-level governance well.
Persist in a people-centered approach. In Chinese-path modernization, the people's livelihood is of paramount importance. We must take the needs of the masses as our guide, exploring and innovating social governance paths and models, and respecting the principal status and pioneering spirit of the masses. This will promote the effective connection between top-level design and primary-level practice. Whole-process people's democracy must run through every link of primary-level governance to maximize the vitality of the masses and leverage their role as the main actors. We must follow the Party's mass line in the New Era, doing a better job of "walking the streets and alleys," "asking after people’s well-being," "knocking on doors," and "opening hearts." We must perform work that warms and unites people’s hearts, fully absorbing social expectations, the wisdom of the masses, expert opinions, and primary-level experience into reform designs. Aiming at the urgent problems and anxieties (jí nán chóu pàn) of the masses in their production and life, we must focus on introducing a series of solid and effective measures that are well-received, sustainable, and recognized by the people. We must leverage the exemplary role of Party members, strengthen ideological and political work, and promptly solve the ideological and practical interest issues of the masses, leading various primary-level organizations to consciously implement the Party's propositions.
Persist in improving governance efficacy. Social governance is a science. We must cultivate a group of expert-level urban management cadres who use scientific attitudes, advanced concepts, and professional knowledge to build and manage cities. We should establish a high-quality professional team of community workers, pushing the focus of management downwards and tilting service and management resources toward the primary level to stimulate vitality. We must train experts who are skilled at mass work, who can unite and lead the people while serving them, promote reform and development, and continuously improve the ability of primary-level Party organizations to organize, unite, and lead the masses in governance. We must enhance political capacity, using various methods to publicize the Party's theories, lines, principles, and policies to the masses, thereby increasing their identification with primary-level Party organizations. We must enhance reform capacity, persisting in a problem-oriented approach, and conducting high-quality investigations and research at the primary level to identify problems in ideology, institutions, and capacity. We must introduce targeted reform measures so that primary-level governance reform can be deepened through the resolution of problems.
Advancing the Modernization of Primary-Level Governance with a Spirit of Reform and Innovation
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee pointed out that national security is an important foundation for the steady and long-term progress of Chinese-path modernization. It emphasized the need to improve the institutional mechanisms for social work, providing the direction for promoting primary-level governance modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping, during his inspection in Shandong, emphasized the need to persist in Party-building-led primary-level governance and to improve the capacity of primary-level Party organizations to lead. Facing new situations and tasks, we must integrate institutional reform throughout the entire process and all aspects of primary-level governance—strengthening the foundations, leveraging advantages, addressing shortcomings, and reinforcing weak links.
Focus on strengthening Party-building-led primary-level governance. We should improve the institutional mechanisms for Party-building-led governance. Following the approach of "strengthening the horse, lightening the cart, clearing the road, and gathering strength" (zhuàng mǎ, qīng chē, chàng lù, jù lì) [10], we must fight a resolute battle against the prominent problem of the "small horse pulling a big cart" and persistently reduce burdens and empower the primary level. We should leverage the coordination mechanisms for Party-building-led governance at all levels, focusing on key and difficult problems. We should promote the construction of "primary-level governance innovation experimental zones" to produce a series of innovative results that lead to improved quality and efficiency. We must leverage the role of primary-level Party organizations to mobilize and organize various organizations and groups to participate in governance and serve the people, encouraging "on-duty" Party members (those working in government/SOEs), social organizations, and "new employment groups" (e.g., delivery drivers, gig workers) to participate. We should refine the system of primary-level self-governance by the masses and formulate measures to strengthen the ranks of community workers and social work professionals. We should increase the application of information technology—strengthening the use of digital technologies such as the internet, big data, artificial intelligence, and blockchain—to continuously improve the primary-level governance platform characterized by grid-based management, refined services, and information technology support.
Focus efforts on expanding the Party’s appeal, cohesion, and influence within emerging fields. We must implement actions to improve the quality of reform and development for industry associations and chambers of commerce, and rationalize the management system of Party building within these organizations. We should use Party building to lead mechanism innovation and industry development, while improving the institutional environment for industry associations and chambers of commerce to participate in grassroots governance. We must strengthen the endogenous drive for these associations to participate in grassroots governance, guiding them to fulfill their functional roles and continuously improving their professional service capabilities and resource integration capacities, so they may effectively address the differentiated needs of grassroots society. We must promote innovation in the operating mechanisms of the Party committees’ "Two New" Work Committees [11], and launch "Double Integration and Double Creation" [12] actions for Party building in emerging fields. We should actively explore effective paths for strengthening Party building in new economic organizations, new social organizations, and among groups in new forms of employment [13], concentrating efforts on opening new spaces for economic development and creating new patterns of social governance. We must deeply integrate resources from all parties, leveraging the advantages of industries, localities, and enterprises to conduct effective ideological guidance and cohesive service work for groups in new forms of employment. By guiding them to participate in grassroots governance, we can transform the "management variables" of the grassroots into "governance increments."
Focus efforts on organizing, serving, and uniting the masses. We must improve the systems and mechanisms for strengthening the volunteer service system, and give full play to the active role of various social organizations, ensuring that the masses have the channels, vehicles, and opportunities to participate in grassroots governance and contribute "volunteer strength" to the construction of Chinese-path modernization. We should explore a Party-led mechanism for the linkage and integration of "social work + volunteer service," deeply integrating this model with the resolution of petitions and contradictions [14], grassroots governance, and Party building in "Two Enterprises and Three New" [15] sectors. We must strengthen and improve work related to the people's letters and visits, promote the rule of law in petition work, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the masses. We should improve the systems and mechanisms for collecting people's suggestions, refine collection channels, and promote the transformation of results. By coordinating and making good use of collection platforms that combine online and offline elements, we can guide the broad masses to offer suggestions and advice for grassroots governance, continuously transforming the "golden ideas" of the people into "golden keys" for advancing our work.
Focus efforts on strengthening the development of the social work workforce. We must increase the strength of professional education and cultivation, promoting the expansion, structural optimization, and quality improvement of the grassroots social worker talent pool. Adhering to the principles of tiered classification and precision training, we should conduct tailored training for professional social work talents, community workers, volunteers, and Party affairs workers in the social field. We must improve the "full-cycle" management system for social work talent, focusing on the recruitment, evaluation, utilization, incentive, and guarantee cycles. By establishing and improving relevant policy systems, we aim to form a mature and finalized social work talent institutional system characterized by vertical continuity and horizontal coordination. We should implement talent workforce construction projects in five key areas with high demand for professional social work—petitions, medical care, education, children, and elderly care—fully leveraging professional advantages and using a project-based approach to drive the construction of the social work workforce and improve the quality and efficiency of social work services in these fields.
(The author is the Director of the Social Work Department of the Shandong Provincial CPC Committee and Secretary of the Provincial "Two New" Work Committee)
Source: Study Times [16] Web Editor: Huihui