Sun Youhai: The Fundamental Principles for Doing a Good Job in Public Petition Work in the New Era
Petitioning work [1] serves as a bridge and bond for the Party and the government to maintain close ties with the masses. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has proceeded from the strategic height of the overall development of the Party and state undertakings, making a series of important expositions and instructions on petitioning work. This formed General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on strengthening and improving people’s petitioning work, providing the fundamental follow and guide to action for petitioning work in the New Era. The "Decision" of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and the "Suggestions" of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee both proposed to "advance the rule of law in petitioning work." The "15th Five-Year" Plan outline deployed the advancement of the rule of law in petitioning work, proposing to "continuously carry out the practice of leading cadres receiving petitioners and going down to the grassroots to meet with them [2], and deepening the resolution of prominent petitioning conflicts." To implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, we must deeply study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on strengthening and improving people’s petitioning work. We must persist in taking the people as the center, establish and practice a correct view of political achievements, and promote the high-quality development of petitioning work, making new and greater contributions to serving the overall interests of the Party and the state, safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the masses, and promoting social harmony and stability.
Petitioning work plays an important role in maintaining the overall situation of reform, development, and stability
Since the New Era began, China’s development has faced complex and severe international and domestic situations. Petitioning work acts as a "heart-to-heart bridge" linking the Party and government with the masses, a "barometer" reflecting social conditions and public opinion, and a "pressure relief valve" for resolving contradictions and disputes; its importance in national governance has become increasingly prominent. In 2017, General Secretary Xi Jinping issued an important instruction on petitioning work, pointing out that it "promoted the resolution of a large number of issues concerning the vital interests of the masses and played an important role in maintaining the overall situation of reform, development, and stability." Doing well in petitioning work in the New Era relates to the vital interests of the masses, the overall work of the Party and the state, the mass base for the Party’s governance, and the long-term peace and stability of society.
It is an inevitable requirement for upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership. The key to comprehensively building a modern socialist country and comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation lies with the Party. Only by upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership can we ensure the correct direction of China’s socialist modernization and ensure we possess strong political cohesion and developmental confidence for united struggle. Petitioning work is essentially political work and has played an important role in the great historical process of revolution, construction, and reform led by our Party. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the core responsibility of petitioning work—to solve difficulties for the people and share concerns with the Party—has become clearer. On the new journey of the New Era, facing various risks and challenges, we must continue to regard petitioning work as an important channel for implementing the Party’s mass line and maintaining the flesh-and-blood ties between the Party and the people. Only by continuously improving our capacity to seek benefits for the people, handle affairs for the people, and resolve grievances for the people can we further lay a solid mass foundation for our Party's long-term governance.
It is an intrinsic requirement for persisting in the supremacy of the people and stimulating the people's creative vitality. The people are the creators of history and the subjects of Chinese-path modernization. Only by persisting in the supremacy of the people, and insisting that everything be for the people and rely on the people, can we promote the continuous forward development of Chinese-path modernization. Petitioning work directly faces and serves the masses; it is an important way to understand the conditions of the people, pool their wisdom, safeguard their interests, and win their hearts. As the principal contradiction in Chinese society has transformed [3], the people’s aspiration for a better life has become stronger. They not only have higher requirements for material and cultural life but also have increasing demands in areas such as democracy, the rule of law, fairness, justice, security, and the environment. The tasks of promoting all-around human development and all-around social progress have become more arduous and heavy. This places new and higher requirements on petitioning work. We must hold fast to the people’s standpoint, respect their creative spirit, and take public satisfaction as the highest standard for testing our work. By focusing on resolving prominent issues reported by the masses in employment, education, medical care, housing, and elderly care, we can legally guarantee the rights and interests of the masses and accurately respond to their expectations while better stimulating the creative vitality of all people, pooling majestic strength to promote and expand Chinese-path modernization.
It is an important grasp [4] for strengthening social governance and preventing and resolving major risks. Petitioning work is a vital component of social work and a key grasp for strengthening social governance. Whether petitioning work is done well directly affects social harmony and the long-term peace and stability of the state. Currently, China is in a period where various contradictions and risks are prone to occur frequently. The demands of the masses and the contradictions and disputes show characteristics of increased interconnectedness, complexity, and professionalization. If some petitioning issues are handled improperly, they can easily trigger chain reactions, affecting the overall situation of reform, development, and stability. The fact that the masses use petitioning channels to report situations, offer suggestions and opinions, or make complaints is also an important part of improving the social governance system based on collaboration, participation, and common interests. Strengthening and improving people’s petitioning work and integrating it into national governance—while improving comprehensive governance mechanisms for source prevention, screening and sorting, dispute resolution, and emergency handling—is conducive to reducing the increment of contradictions and resolving the existing stock of contradictions at the source. By pushing more rule-of-law forces toward the end of guidance and mediation and effectively resolving petitioning contradictions, we can prevent and resolve major risks, maintain the continuous stability of the social situation, and create a safe and stable social environment for promoting and expanding Chinese-path modernization.
Deeply grasping the rich connotations of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on strengthening and improving people’s petitioning work
General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on strengthening and improving people’s petitioning work is rooted in the practice of the Party’s mass work in the New Era and encapsulates a profound grasp of the laws governing petitioning work, providing scientific guidance for this work in the New Era. The connotations of this important thought are extremely rich, concentrated in the "Nine Persists."
Persisting in strengthening the Party's overall leadership over petitioning work. This is the fundamental guarantee for petitioning work. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Party committees at all levels must strengthen their leadership over petitioning work." The Regulations on Petitioning Work clearly define the nature and role of petitioning work, noting it is "an important part of the Party’s mass work, an important task for the Party and government to understand the people’s conditions, pool their wisdom, safeguard their interests, and win their hearts, as well as an important way for organs, units, and their leading cadres and staff at all levels to accept public supervision and improve their work style." This determines that strengthening the Party’s overall leadership is the highest principle and greatest advantage of petitioning work. At present, China's development faces an objective reality where strategic opportunities coexist with risks and challenges, and uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing. The role of petitioning work in serving the overall interests of the Party and state and promoting social harmony and stability has become increasingly prominent. Implementing the Party’s leadership in all aspects and throughout the entire process of petitioning work, and improving the petitioning work system and mechanisms under the Party’s leadership, is the fundamental guarantee for the effective fulfillment of its functions. This helps ensure petitioning work advances in the correct political direction and continuously strengthens the responsibility and commitment of party members and cadres to conduct mass work in a down-to-earth and meticulous manner.
Persisting in the supremacy of the people. This is the fundamental standpoint of petitioning work. When Comrade Xi Jinping was working in Fujian, he profoundly pointed out: "The primary meaning of petitioning work lies in always regarding oneself as a member of the people and keeping one’s heart close to the people." The supremacy of the people is the fundamental standpoint of Marxism and the value pursuit of petitioning work. As an important part of the Party’s mass work, petitioning work possesses the natural advantage of knowing the people’s conditions, the unique value of pooling their wisdom, the fundamental duty of safeguarding their interests, and the important mission of winning their hearts. Only by always maintaining a sentiment for the people, persisting in their supremacy, and firmly establishing the concept that "people's petitioning is for the people," can we serve as a good "heart-to-heart bridge" between the Party and government and the masses, maintain close ties with the masses, and maximize the cohesion of strength for united struggle.
Persisting in solving difficulties for the people and sharing concerns with the Party. This is the political responsibility of petitioning work. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized "taking loyalty to the Party, sharing the Party’s concerns, performing one’s duties for the Party, and creating benefits for the people as the fundamental political commitment." The Regulations on Petitioning Work explicitly require "keeping in mind the political responsibility of solving difficulties for the people and sharing concerns with the Party." The nature and role of petitioning work determine its distinct political and popular character. The political character addresses the question of "which flag to raise and which path to take," determining the political orientation and work guidance; it requires maintaining political integrity and always "sharing the Party’s concerns." The popular character addresses the question of "for whom and on whom to rely," determining the basic standpoint and fundamental purpose; it requires firmly establishing a mass perspective and always "solving difficulties for the people." The organic unity of political and popular character means petitioning work must uphold the political responsibility of both solving difficulties for the people and sharing concerns with the Party. In practice, only by further playing the role of petitioning work as a "barometer" of social sentiments and public opinion, and truly understanding the thoughts, desires, worries, and expectations of the masses, can we better undertake the important functions and fundamental tasks of petitioning work.
Persisting in reforming and improving the petitioning system. This is the fundamental driving force for the high-quality development of petitioning work. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Reform is always on the road; the road of reform is never smooth." The petitioning system primarily includes the sum of norms adjusting petitioning activities and work, as well as the related organizational systems, basic systems, and working systems; it carries important functions of political participation, protection of rights and interests, democratic supervision, and maintenance of stability. Adjusting, reforming, and innovating the systems and mechanisms that do not adapt to the functional positioning of petitioning work according to the requirements of the times is the only way to improve the petitioning system. Only by systematically planning and promoting the reform of the petitioning system from the height of promoting and expanding Chinese-path modernization and from the overall situation of China's reform, development, and stability, can we deeply resolve prominent petitioning problems and promote the high-quality development of petitioning work.
Persisting in bringing petitioning into the track of the rule of law. This is the basic path for the reform and development of petitioning work. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Leading cadres at all levels must improve their ability to use rule-of-law thinking and rule-of-law methods to deepen reform, promote development, resolve contradictions, and maintain stability, and strive to create a sound rule-of-law environment where people act according to the law, look for the law when encountering problems, use the law to solve problems, and rely on the law to resolve contradictions." The rule of law is the basic way our Party governs the country. Advancing the rule of law in petitioning work is an inherent requirement for comprehensively governing the country according to law and is the specific application of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law in the field of petitioning. By strengthening the authoritative position of the law in resolving contradictions and insisting on using rule-of-law thinking and methods, we can ensure the people feel that their rights are treated fairly and their interests are effectively maintained during the processing of petitioning matters.
Persisting in the "Three Resolved, One Processed" [5] work requirement. This is the method and approach for petitioning work. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Comprehensively use legal, policy, economic, and administrative means as well as education, mediation, and guidance to resolve the reasonable and legal interest demands of the masses." The Regulations on Petitioning Work clarified the "Three Resolved, One Processed" requirement: namely, that for reasonable demands, resolution must be in place (suqiú hélǐ de jiějué wèntí dàowèi); for unreasonable demands, ideological education must be in place (suqiú wúlǐ de sīxiǎng jiàoyù dàowèi); for those in living difficulties, assistance and relief must be in place (shēnghuó kùnnán de bāngfù jiùzhù dàowèi); and for illegal behavior, processing must be according to the law (xíngwéi wèifǎ de yīfǎ chǔlǐ). This requirement persists in applying materialist dialectics, using a combination of "law, reason, and emotion," ensuring that laws, logic, and human sentiment complement each other. In practice, we must adhere to this basic requirement for handling petitioning issues to resolve the legitimate and reasonable demands of the masses timely and locally according to policies, while maintaining normal petitioning order.
Persisting in and developing the "Fengqiao Experience" in the New Era. This is the grassroots foundation for petitioning work. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must persist in and develop the 'Fengqiao Experience' in the New Era, promote the rule of law in petitioning work, and timely and effectively resolve various contradictions and disputes." The grassroots is the frontline of reform, development, and stability; it is both the source of mass petitions and the key to resolving them. The "Fengqiao Experience" in the New Era inherits the governance wisdom of fine traditional Chinese culture and reflects the requirements of the times for resolving contradictions among the people and maintaining social stability. By taking source governance and strengthening the grassroots foundation as the focus of petitioning work, we can further solidify its foundation.
Persisting in bottom-line thinking. This is an important concept for petitioning work. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized:
"Regarding various emerging issues, we must pay close attention, resolve them in a timely manner, and strictly prevent the interweaving and overlapping of various contradictions from forming a chain reaction." At present, the predictable and unpredictable risk factors facing our country's development are increasing; the task of resolving petition-related contradictions remains arduous and heavy, and the road ahead for "letters and visits" work [6] remains long and difficult. Strengthening bottom-line thinking and awareness of potential dangers is an intrinsic requirement for actively responding to risks and challenges, governing hidden perils in a timely fashion, and effectively handling petition issues. Only by standing at the height of coordinating development and security, and by employing correct strategies and tactics to improve the foresight and scientific rigor of preventing and defusing major risks and hidden dangers, can we truly "provide for a rainy day" [7] and "remove the fuel from under the cauldron," [8] thereby firmly grasping the initiative in preventing and defusing risks.
We must persist in building a high-quality team of "letters and visits" personnel. This is the organizational guarantee for our work. General Secretary Xi Jinping has demanded the "construction of a high-quality letters and visits work team that is loyal and reliable to the Party, abides by its responsibility to the people, and is adept at mass work," pointing out the political standards and quality requirements for this endeavor. In the present era, talent is the primary resource. The high quality and specialization of this workforce are the strong organizational guarantee and talent support for the high-quality development of petitions work. In practice, we must care for, support, and cherish "letters and visits" cadres, further strengthen the building of the cadre contingent, and guide them to stick to their duties and missions, offer selfless dedication, and continuously improve their capacity and level for performing "letters and visits" work in the New Era.
General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Important Thought on Strengthening and Improving People’s Letters and Visits Work systematically answers major theoretical and practical questions such as "what it is, why we do it, and how to do it" regarding petition work in the New Era. It scientifically elucidates a series of major issues including the fundamental stance, political responsibility, developmental momentum, methods and modes, and organizational guarantees of such work in the New Era. It profoundly clarifies its political attributes, value pursuits, practical paths, and responsibility requirements. This Important Thought both inherits our Party’s fine tradition of the mass line and achieves theoretical innovation and institutional improvement based on the New Era. It deepens our Party's regularity-based understanding of "letters and visits" work with a brand-new vision, reflecting the distinct characteristics of the unity of political and people-centered nature, and the unity of dialectical and rule-of-law thinking. It constitutes an original contribution to our Party's theory of letters and visits work.
Promoting High-Quality Development of "Letters and Visits" Work to a New Level
Since the dawn of the New Era, under the guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Important Thought on Strengthening and Improving People’s Letters and Visits Work, the Party’s leadership over this work has been comprehensively strengthened. Party committees and governments at all levels have included letters and visits work in their important agendas, perfecting the work pattern characterized by "unified leadership by the Party committee, implementation by the government, coordination through joint meetings, promotion by letters and visits departments, and joint management by all parties." This has pushed the work in the New Era toward historical achievements and historical transformations.
Regarding institutional building, the Regulations on Letters and Visits have been promulgated and implemented; the work of classifying and handling petition demands according to law has been solidly advanced; relevant departments have been organized to compile "guidance maps" for handling petition matters in accordance with laws and regulations, clearing the "roadmap" for the rule-of-law orientation of petition work. Publicity and education on the rule of law in petitioning have been strengthened, and a pattern in which letters and visits work operates orderly within the orbit of the rule of law has basically taken shape. Regarding systems and mechanisms, the reform of the "letters and visits" system has advanced in depth; the joint meeting mechanism has achieved full coverage across the four levels of province, city, county, and township. Online petition platforms have been fully established and continuously optimized, the process for handling petition matters has been continuously standardized, and the level of normalization and standardization has been significantly improved. Regarding governance at the source, we persist in and develop the "Fengqiao Experience" [9] in the New Era and vigorously promote the fine style of "going down to the grassroots in four aspects." [10] Before issuing major policies or implementing major projects, localities now extensively listen to the masses' opinions and evaluate risks and hidden dangers. The role of letters and visits work in serving the overall interests of the Party and the state has become further prominent, making important contributions to writing a new chapter of the "two miracles": rapid economic development and long-term social stability. These tangible achievements fully demonstrate the practical power of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Important Thought on Strengthening and Improving People’s Letters and Visits Work.
The "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period [11] is a critical stage for laying a solid foundation and making comprehensive efforts to basically realize socialist modernization. Facing new situations and new tasks, we must always adhere to and strengthen the Party's comprehensive leadership over letters and visits work, consciously thinking about, planning, and advancing it within the overall context of the cause of the Party and the state. We must firmly grasp the practical requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Important Thought on Strengthening and Improving People’s Letters and Visits Work and transform them into concrete ideas, pragmatic measures, and actual results, pushing the high-quality development of such work to a new level.
First, we must exert continuous effort in practicing the Party's mass line. We must profoundly grasp the deep connotation that "letters and visits work is mass work brought to our doorstep." We must place the people in the highest position in our hearts and implement service to the people in practical terms. We must persist in a problem-oriented approach, focusing on the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the masses. We must go deep into the grassroots and among the masses, performing letters and visits work with affection, responsibility, and warmth—listening to their voices face-to-face, communicating heart-to-heart, and solving problems in a concrete manner. We must continue to smooth and standardize the channels for the masses to express their demands, optimizing the methods for accepting demands through online petitions, letters, visits, and telephone calls, making it more convenient and efficient for the masses to report their concerns.
Second, we must exert continuous effort in promoting the rule-of-law orientation of letters and visits work. We must focus on the goals of "clear powers and responsibilities, clear basic facts, handling according to law, good order, and mass satisfaction." We must comprehensively advance the rule-of-law construction of petition work to ensure that every demand of the masses is handled by someone and advanced according to law. We must strictly standardize the entire process of acceptance, handling, and re-examination of petition matters, and improve the mechanism for classifying and handling petition demands according to law. We must promote rule-of-law orientation in prevention, acceptance, handling, supervision, accountability, and the maintenance of order. We must strengthen rule-of-law publicity and education, popularizing "letters and visits" laws and regulations among the masses through various forms, guiding them to establish the concept of "relying on the law for handling affairs, seeking the law when encountering problems, using the law to solve problems, and relying on the law to resolve contradictions," so that they visit authorities peak-by-peak according to law and express their demands rationally. We must improve the evaluation mechanism for petition work and establish a sound normalized inspection mechanism to further rectify problems such as "failing to accept what should be accepted, failing to handle what should be handled, failing to hold accountable those who should be held accountable, and failing to investigate what should be investigated."
Third, we must exert continuous effort in deepening governance at the source. Resolving contradictions at the source involves the lowest cost, the smallest risk, and the best effect. We must deepen source governance, perfecting the comprehensive mechanism for the diverse prevention, mediation, and resolution of social contradictions and disputes. We must integrate "letters and visits" work into grassroots social governance, promoting the improvement of a social governance system characterized by Party committee leadership, government responsibility, democratic consultation, social coordination, public participation, rule-of-law guarantee, and technological support. We must strengthen risk research and early warning, establishing a sound mechanism for the screening, dynamic monitoring, and analysis of major risks and hidden dangers in the petition field. We must achieve early discovery, early intervention, and early disposal of emerging and trending issues, striving to discover them early, prevent them beforehand, and handle them while they are small.
Finally, we must exert continuous effort in forging an iron-clad team. In accordance with the requirements of "loyalty and reliability to the Party, abiding by the responsibility to the people, and being adept at mass work," we must strengthen the ideological tempering, political experience, practical exercise, and professional training of "letters and visits" cadres. We must continuously improve their political capacity, mass work capacity, contradiction resolution capacity, and emergency handling capacity. We must strengthen training in policies, regulations, professional knowledge, and work methods, encouraging cadres to accumulate experience and grow their talents in handling complex problems and resolving major contradictions. We must persist in combining strict management with genuine care, balancing incentives with constraints, and showing concern for the work and life of petition cadres. We must help solve their practical difficulties and stimulate the cohesion and combat effectiveness of the cadre contingent. We must strive to build a high-quality, professional team of petition workers who are loyal, clean, and responsible, providing a strong organizational guarantee for the high-quality development of such work in the New Era.
(The author is the Dean of the Law School at Tianjin University) Source: People's Daily (March 19, 2026) Editor: Huihui