Li Peizhi: Innovating Social Governance in Adaptation to Profound Changes in the Social Structure
Social governance is a critical component of national governance. Using Chinese-path modernization to comprehensively advance the great cause of building a strong nation and national rejuvenation requires the better utilization of our country's institutional advantages and the enhancement of the efficacy of social governance. The Decision of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CCP Central Committee [1] made important arrangements for perfecting the social governance system. It must be recognized that social structure exerts a significant influence on social governance. In his important instructions regarding social work, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "At present, our country's social structure is undergoing profound changes." We must accurately grasp the trends of change in our social structure and continuously advance innovation in social governance.
Generally speaking, social structure is a reflection of social existence; it primarily includes the employment structure, demographic structure, family structure, and income structure. Only with a rational social structure can the whole of society develop in a harmonious and orderly manner. Social structure and social governance are complementary. The social structure profoundly influences the choice of social governance methods; under different social structures, the modes of coordination and cooperation among various subjects of social governance will also differ. At the same time, strengthening innovation in social governance and advancing the modernization of social governance can promote a more optimized social structure, making economic and social development more coordinated. Since the 18th National Congress [2], our Party has focused on the long-term peace and stability of the nation and the people's ability to live and work in peace and contentment, promoting reforms in the field of social governance and perfecting the social governance system. This has yielded historic achievements and continued to write new chapters of the "two miracles" [3]. Along with economic and social development and the accelerated evolution of a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, China's social structure is changing accordingly.
From the perspective of employment structure, large numbers of flexible employees, migrant workers, and personnel in new forms of employment have emerged, opening new spaces in the labor market and expanding new avenues for laborers to increase their income. Flexible employment mainly includes individual operations, part-time work, and other forms of employment; it differs from traditional employment forms—which were based on industrialization and the modern factory system—in terms of labor time, workplace, and labor relations. In 2023, the scale of flexible employment in China was approximately 200 million people. Migrant workers (nongmingong) refer to personnel with agricultural household registration [4] who have left their place of registered residence and are primarily engaged in non-agricultural industries. In 2024, there were approximately 300 million migrant workers nationwide, of whom 190 million were outgoing migrant workers. Personnel in new forms of employment refer to those who rely on internet platforms for employment, primarily including online delivery workers, ride-hailing drivers, and internet marketing specialists. Data from the Fifth National Economic Census show that the digital economy has boosted the rapid development of the information service industry, leading to an increase in personnel employed in related industries. These employment methods have stimulated new drivers for economic development and structural upgrading, and they also require that the protection of these workers' rights and interests be fully considered in social governance. For example, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Supreme People's Court jointly released typical cases of labor disputes involving new forms of employment. These cases cover the main industry types and common staffing methods of the platform economy, adhering to the principle of "facts first" in determining labor relations—identifying the relationship between enterprises and workers based on the facts of employment to effectively protect the rights and interests of workers in these new forms of employment.
From the perspective of demographic structure, China has generally shifted from a stage of population growth to a stage of population reduction. Population development exhibits clear trend-based characteristics such as "fewer children" (low birth rate), aging [5], and divergent regional population growth and decline. In general, negative population growth conforms to the general laws of modern global development; its impact on economic and social development includes both advantages and disadvantages. Positive effects include reducing pressure on resources and the environment and forcing economic development to shift from extensive expansion toward intensive development [6]. Negative impacts include a reduction in the labor force. Regarding population mobility, since the Reform and Opening-up [7], China's population has continued to concentrate in coastal areas, areas along major rivers, provincial capitals, and central urban districts. The population in the eastern region has continued to increase, and floating populations are dense in regions such as the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta. In 2020, the total population of China's 11 major metropolitan clusters was 630 million, accounting for 44.6% of the national population; the permanent resident population of 27 provincial capitals (excluding municipalities directly under the central government) was 230 million, a 30.3% increase over 2010. Only by innovating social governance in accordance with changes in demographic structure and trends in population mobility can we realize high-quality population development to support Chinese-path modernization. For example, the Decision of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CCP Central Committee proposed perfecting the support policy system and incentive mechanisms for childbirth to promote the construction of a birth-friendly society. The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee held on September 26 last year proposed the urgent improvement of the childbirth support policy system. Implementing these important arrangements is conducive to strengthening and innovating social governance.
From the perspective of income structure, since the New Era, our Party has focused on deepening the reform of the income distribution system, promoting the continuous narrowing of the income gap between urban and rural residents as well as between regions. We can see these changes in statistical data. Between urban and rural areas, in 2023, the per capita disposable income of China's urban residents increased by 75.4% in real terms compared to 2012, with an average annual real growth of 5.2%; the per capita disposable income of rural residents increased by 111.4% in real terms compared to 2012, with an average annual real growth of 7.0%, which is 1.8 percentage points faster than the average annual real growth rate for urban residents. Geographically, taking the income of residents in the western region as 1, the ratios of per capita disposable income in the eastern, central, and northeastern regions to the western region in 2023 were 1.60, 1.07, and 1.07, respectively; the relative income gaps narrowed by 0.10, 0.03, and 0.22, respectively, compared to 2013. Currently, we must focus on promoting the further narrowing of the income gap between urban and rural areas and regions, strengthen and innovate social governance, and strive to ensure that the fruits of development benefit all people more extensively and equitably, promoting more obvious and substantive progress in the common prosperity of all people.
Overall, the profound changes in China's social structure have both positive impacts and certain challenges. Practice has shown that to promote sustainable economic and social development, the changes in social structure must be made compatible with changes in economic structure so that the two promote each other and complement one another. To this end, in accordance with the arrangements and requirements of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CCP Central Committee, we must better coordinate social forces, balance social interests, regulate social relations, and standardize social behavior by adjusting and perfecting systems and mechanisms and innovating social governance. We must persist in the people-centered development philosophy, summarize the achievements and experiences gained in the adjustment and optimization of China's social structure, and—revolving around the goals and directions of enhancing people's well-being, promoting the well-rounded development of the individual, and achieving common prosperity—strengthen social construction, promote reform of the social system, innovate social governance, and continuously realize the people's happiness, health, and well-being. Regarding leadership, we should establish and perfect the systems and mechanisms for the Party's comprehensive leadership over social governance, well-implement the Party's mass line in the New Era, and enhance the Party's appeal, cohesion, and influence in emerging fields. Regarding content, we must persist in guaranteeing and improving people's livelihoods through development, seeking benefits for the people, performing tasks for the people, and resolving concerns for the people. Regarding participating subjects, we must clarify the responsibilities, tasks, and rights-responsibility relationships of all parties to build a social governance community where everyone is responsible, everyone does their duty, and everyone shares in the benefits. At the same time, we must track and study changes in social structure in a timely manner, conduct social surveys and forecasts, adhere to a systems perspective, adjust and optimize policies according to actual conditions, and pay attention to the coordination and balance of various measures.
(The author is the Director and Researcher of the Institute of Sociology, Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences) Source: People's Daily (January 16, 2025, Page 09) Web Editor: Huihui