Preface

Social governance is an integral part of social activities for human beings, as well as a major issue that has been preoccupying politicians and thinkers all over the world. In the long course of history, the Chinese nation has created its own splendid culture, accumulated rich experience in social governance, and developed such thoughts as “the people are the foundation of a nation”, “policies should be implemented to serve the people’s needs”, “the rule of law and rule of virtue should be combined and the latter should take precedence”, “be prepared for any possible danger even in times of peace”, and “seek development based on reform and innovation”. These profound ideas have exerted far-reaching influence in contributing to China’s social development, standing out as “pearls of wisdom” for social governance.

History has witnessed every step forward made in human society. In its early years, the Communist Party of China (CPC) already led the Chinese people in a great social revolution. Following the founding of the People’s Republic of China, especially after the beginning of reform and opening-up, the CPC attached great importance to social progress and social governance, fully drew upon traditional Chinese thinking on social governance and advanced international practices, and trod a path of social governance in line with China’s realities, effecting radical changes in the country’s social system, social structure, and social relations. Since the conclusion of the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee, with Xi Jinping as its core, has followed the path of socialist social governance with Chinese characteristics, sought to modernize the country’s governance capacity and governance system, coordinated efforts to build systematic governance, law-based governance, integrated governance, and governance at the source, striving to establish a social governance model based on collaboration, participation, and common interests. In this process, the CPC’s leadership and the advantages of the socialist system are translated into the advantages of social governance, and China’s social governance has been pushed to a new height. Today, China is recognized as one of the world’s safest countries, for its national stability and unity, social harmony and stability, and its people living in peace and contentment. It offers Chinese wisdom and a Chinese approach to advancing governance of the international community and the progress of human civilization.

Zhejiang, situated on the southeast coast of China, is where China’s revolutionary “red ship” set sail, where the policy of reform and opening-up was first pursued, and where important elements of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era came. When working in Zhejiang, Xi Jinping made a series of major strategic decisions, such as implementing the Eight-Eight Strategy, and building Peaceful Zhejiang and Law-based Zhejiang, in light of the new situations and problems encountered in social governance. Over the years, we have followed the way pointed by Xi Jinping in striving to build a Prosperous Zhejiang, Law-based Zhejiang, Cultural Zhejiang, Peaceful Zhejiang, Beautiful Zhejiang, and Clean Zhejiang. We have made active efforts to promote innovations in social governance, effectively prevent and control all kinds of social risks, and combine community-level autonomy, the rule of law and the rule of virtue. As a result, social governance in the province is much more modernized, the economy and society have grown steadily at the same time, and people now have a stronger sense of fulfillment, happiness and security. Today, Zhejiang is recognized as one of the Chinese provinces with the strongest economic strength, the smallest income gap between urban and rural residents, the highest degree of openness and the best development environment. The 2016 G20 summit was successfully held in Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang, and the World Internet Conference has been held five times in Wuzhen, a town in Zhejiang. In July this year, Xi Jinping made important instructions on the future efforts of Zhejiang, suggesting that the province should continue to be a down-to-earth and responsible pioneer. This has pointed us the direction of efforts and inspired us to do a good job in carrying out every task of reform and development. It will certainly guide us to move forward towards higher goals and continue to take the lead in boosting and innovating in social governance.

Looking back on the past against the backdrop of social changes can always give us new understandings of what we have experienced. At the age of 18, in response to the central government’s call, I went to the countryside and joined a number of professions such as police and judge. I served as a Party branch secretary in villages, and as a leader of Party committee or government on township, district, municipal and provincial levels, in Anhui, Hebei, Xinjiang and Zhejiang. These experiences are invaluable to me, because I was offered a chance to gain a picture of what social governance was like in different professions and different regions, and on different levels. During my tenure as Governor of the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government and Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee in particular, I was devoted to solving various practical problems related to people’s work and life, promptly and properly resolving the deep-seated contradictions arising from the adjustment of interests in reform and development, pushing forward the “One Visit at the Most” reform to meet people’s needs, and encouraging reforms and innovations in various fields and on all levels of social governance, striving to create a more harmonious and stable social environment for the reform and development of Zhejiang. In this process, I have become increasingly aware that: the leadership of the CPC is crucial to good social governance in China so the Party should play a full part in making overall plans and coordinating efforts of all stakeholders; social governance boils down to the service for and management of people and being people-centered is an essential requirement of socialist social governance with Chinese characteristics so we should always put people first and deliver what the people want; social governance is a science and we must gather speed in modernizing the governance system and governance capacity, and engage diverse participants in social governance and make related operations law-based, smarter and more specialized; community-level governance is crucial so we should focus on urban and rural communities and solve contradictions and problems on the community level to lay a solid foundation for social governance.

2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the introduction of China’s reform and opening-up policy. In publishing this book at such an important juncture, we hope to give readers a clearer, full picture of the enormous changes in China’s social structure and social governance in contemporary China through the case of Zhejiang.

Last but not least, Social Governance in China: Practices of Zhejiang Province is one of the “Understanding China” series. It is at the suggestion of Zheng Bijian, Chair of the Editorial Board of the series, that my colleagues and I have conducted in-depth research into social governance in Zhejiang and China, which is conducive to the work in social governance. On the publication of this book, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Zheng Bijian and other colleagues.

Che Jun

Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee

Chairman of Standing Committee, the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Congress