The Original Contributions of Xi Jinping’s Important Expositions on Social Governance

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, amid the profound transformation of China’s economic system, the deep restructuring of its social structure, the major adjustment of its interest patterns, and the significant changes in its ideological concepts, General Secretary Xi Jinping, with tremendous political courage and wisdom, has scientifically handled the relationship between reform, development, and stability. He has emphasized “perfecting the social governance system” and “enhancing the efficacy of social governance,” and has published a series of important expositions on social governance. These have laid the theoretical and practical foundations for long-term social stability in the great cause of comprehensively building a modern socialist country and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.

党的十八大以来，在我国经济体制深刻变革、社会结构深刻变动、利益格局深刻调整、思想观念深刻变化的过程中，习近平总书记以巨大的政治勇气和智慧，科学处理改革发展稳定之间的关系，强调“完善社会治理体系”“提升社会治理效能”，并发表一系列关于社会治理的重要论述，为以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业奠定了社会长期稳定的理论基础和实践基础。

The Creative Construction of Xi Jinping’s Important Expositions on Social Governance

习近平总书记关于社会治理的重要论述的创造性建构

The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee [1]1 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC was held in July 2024. It focused on further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization. inaugurated a new era of comprehensively deepening reform and advancing reform through systematic, holistic design, opening a completely new phase in China’s reform and opening up. This session proposed for the first time “innovating the social governance system,” realizing an important shift from social management to social governance. Although the change from social management to social governance is only a single character in Chinese, the logic behind it has undergone a qualitative leap. Social governance emphasizes giving full play to the Party’s core leadership role in commanding the overall situation and coordinating all parties, establishing a social governance system with the participation of multiple subjects, breaking away from the past approach of relying solely on government management, and promoting the formation of a new pattern of systematic governance, law-based governance, comprehensive governance, and source governance.

党的十八届三中全会开启了新时代全面深化改革、系统整体设计推进改革新征程，开创了我国改革开放全新局面。这次全会首次提出“创新社会治理体制”，实现了从社会管理到社会治理的重要转变。从社会管理到社会治理，虽然只有一字之差，但背后逻辑却发生了质的跃迁。社会治理强调充分发挥党总揽全局、协调各方的领导核心作用，建立起多方主体共同参与的社会治理体系，摆脱了过去单纯依靠政府管理的方式，推动形成系统治理、依法治理、综合治理、源头治理的新格局。

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Social governance is a science. It will not do to be too rigid, turning society into a stagnant pool; nor will it do to be too lax, letting it become a turbulent sea.” [2]2 The “two major miracles” (两大奇迹) refer to the rapid economic development and long-term social stability achieved by China since its founding. Since the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, our Party has continuously advanced innovation in social governance. In the report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping stated: “We will build a social governance model based on collaboration, participation, and shared benefits. We will strengthen the system of social governance by improving the social governance system in which Party committees exercise leadership, government assumes responsibility, non-governmental actors provide assistance, and the public get involved, and which is underpinned by the rule of law, so as to raise the level of social governance that is law-based, socialized, smart, and specialized.” [3]3 The “New Era” (新时代) refers to the period beginning with the 19th National Congress of the CPC in 2017, characterized by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. At the symposium of experts on the economic and social fields in August 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must improve the social governance system based on collaboration, participation, and shared benefits, realize the benign interaction between government governance, social regulation, and residents’ self-governance, and build a social governance community in which everyone is responsible, everyone fulfills their responsibilities, and everyone enjoys the benefits.” [4]4 “Party-building guidance” (党建引领) refers to the principle that Party construction and leadership should direct and underpin all aspects of grassroots governance. At the symposium of grassroots representatives in September 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must strengthen and innovate grassroots social governance, uphold and improve the ‘Fengqiao Experience’ in the New Era, strengthen urban and rural community building, reinforce grid-based management and services, improve the comprehensive mechanism for the diversified prevention, mediation, and resolution of social conflicts, effectively resolve conflicts at the grassroots level, and maintain social stability.” [5]5 “Formalism” (形式主义) is a term in CPC discourse for work that prioritizes appearance over substance, often criticized as a bureaucratic deviation. In the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping further proposed: “We will improve the social governance system based on collaboration, participation, and shared benefits, and enhance the efficacy of social governance.” [6]6 “Joint contribution, joint governance, and shared benefits” (共建共治共享) is a slogan for a participatory model of social governance. In 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping gave important instructions on social work, emphasizing: “Adhere to a people-centered approach, practice the Party’s mass line in the New Era, and unswervingly follow the path of socialist social governance with Chinese characteristics.” [7]7 “Law pacifies the world, virtue nourishes the heart” (法安天下、德润人心) is a classical Chinese saying emphasizing the complementary roles of law and morality. When participating in the deliberation of the Jiangsu delegation at the Third Session of the 14th National People’s Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must do more practical work in strengthening basic, inclusive, and bottom-line livelihood construction and solving the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the people, and raise the level of improving the social security system and enhancing the balance and accessibility of basic public services.” [8]8 “Changes unseen in a century” (百年未有之大变局) is a key phrase used by Xi Jinping to describe the current era of global transformation and instability. These important expositions have promoted the innovative development of China’s social governance theory, formed a strong political influence and theoretical discourse influence, provided scientific guidance for advancing the modernization of the social governance system and governance capacity, and provided a fundamental guideline for promoting Chinese-path modernization through stable, united, harmonious, and orderly good governance.

习近平总书记指出：“社会治理是一门科学，管得太死，一潭死水不行；管得太松，波涛汹涌也不行。”党的十八届三中全会以来，在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，我们党不断推进社会治理创新。在党的十九大报告中，习近平总书记指出：“打造共建共治共享的社会治理格局。加强社会治理制度建设，完善党委领导、政府负责、社会协同、公众参与、法治保障的社会治理体制，提高社会治理社会化、法治化、智能化、专业化水平。”在2020年8月的经济社会领域专家座谈会上，习近平总书记指出：“要完善共建共治共享的社会治理制度，实现政府治理同社会调节、居民自治良性互动，建设人人有责、人人尽责、人人享有的社会治理共同体。”在2020年9月的基层代表座谈会上，习近平总书记指出：“要加强和创新基层社会治理，坚持和完善新时代‘枫桥经验’，加强城乡社区建设，强化网格化管理和服务，完善社会矛盾纠纷多元预防调处化解综合机制，切实把矛盾化解在基层，维护好社会稳定。”在党的二十大报告中，习近平总书记进一步提出：“健全共建共治共享的社会治理制度，提升社会治理效能。”2024年，习近平总书记对社会工作作出重要指示强调：“坚持以人民为中心，践行新时代党的群众路线，坚定不移走中国特色社会主义社会治理之路”。习近平总书记在参加他所在的十四届全国人大三次会议江苏代表团审议时指出：“在加强基础性、普惠性、兜底性民生建设和解决群众急难愁盼问题上多办实事，在健全社会保障体系、增强基本公共服务均衡性可及性上再上水平。”这些重要论述，推动我国社会治理理论创新发展，形成了强大政治影响力和理论话语影响力，为推进社会治理体系和治理能力现代化提供了科学指引，为以安定团结和谐有序的良治善治推进中国式现代化提供了根本遵循。

At the same time, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has carried out top-level design for advancing the modernization of the social governance system and governance capacity. The 19th National Congress of the CPC proposed that by 2035, socialist modernization will be basically realized. By that time, the modern social governance pattern will be basically formed, and society will be full of vitality yet harmonious and orderly. By the middle of this century, China will be built into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. By that time, China’s social civilization will be comprehensively elevated, the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity will be realized, and the Chinese people will enjoy a happier and more secure life. The 20th National Congress of the CPC further clarified the overall goals for China’s development by 2035, including that the people’s lives will be happier and more beautiful, society will maintain long-term stability, and more obvious substantive progress will be made in the well-rounded development of people and common prosperity for all. The “Decision” of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee [9]9 The Central Social Work Department (中央社会工作部) was established in 2023 as a Party body to coordinate social governance, petition work, and Party building in social organizations and new economic sectors. clarified the overall goals for further comprehensively deepening reform, including focusing on improving the quality of people’s lives, perfecting the income distribution and employment systems, improving the social security system, enhancing the balance and accessibility of basic public services, and promoting more obvious substantive progress in the well-rounded development of people and common prosperity for all. This has clarified the timetable and roadmap for us to advance the modernization of the social governance system and governance capacity, and will promote the continuous improvement of China’s social governance system and the continuous enhancement of social governance efficacy.

同时，以习近平同志为核心的党中央对推进社会治理体系和治理能力现代化进行顶层设计。党的十九大提出，到2035年基本实现社会主义现代化。到那时，现代社会治理格局基本形成，社会充满活力又和谐有序。到本世纪中叶，把我国建成富强民主文明和谐美丽的社会主义现代化强国。到那时，我国社会文明将全面提升，实现国家治理体系和治理能力现代化，我国人民将享有更加幸福安康的生活等。党的二十大进一步明确了到2035年我国发展的总体目标，其中包括人民生活更加幸福美好，社会保持长期稳定，人的全面发展、全体人民共同富裕取得更为明显的实质性进展等。党的二十届三中全会《决定》明确了进一步全面深化改革的总目标，其中包括聚焦提高人民生活品质，完善收入分配和就业制度，健全社会保障体系，增强基本公共服务均衡性和可及性，推动人的全面发展、全体人民共同富裕取得更为明显的实质性进展。这为我们推进社会治理体系和治理能力现代化明确了时间表和路线图，将推动我国社会治理体系不断完善，社会治理效能不断提升。

The Original Value and Contributions of Xi Jinping’s Important Expositions on Social Governance

习近平总书记关于社会治理的重要论述具有原创性价值和贡献

General Secretary Xi Jinping firmly grasps the laws of social operation and social governance, insists on proceeding from China’s actual conditions, accurately assesses the trends of change in China’s social structure, social production methods, social interaction methods, social lifestyles, and consumption patterns, scientifically analyzes the ever-changing conditions of the world, the country, and the Party, actively responds to the people’s aspirations for a better life, continuously promotes better adaptation of social governance to changes in social structure, ensures that society is both full of vitality and harmonious and orderly, and has blazed a path of socialist social governance with Chinese characteristics in such a large country with a population of over 1.4

习近平总书记牢牢把握社会运行规律和社会治理规律，坚持从我国实际出发，精准研判我国社会结构、社会生产方式、社会交往方式、社会生活方式和消费方式的变化趋势，科学分析日益变化的世情国情党情，积极回应人民对美好生活的向往，不断推进社会治理与社会结构变化更好相适应，确保社会既充满活力又和谐有序，在我们这样一个拥有14亿多人口的大国走出了一条中国特色社会主义社会治理之路。习近平总书记关于社会治理的重要论述，具有重要的原创性价值和贡献。

From a theoretical perspective, since the birth of socialism, how to govern such a completely new society as a socialist society, and how to advance the modernization of the social governance system and governance capacity in a socialist country, are questions that past world socialist theory and practice have not answered. Marx and Engels did not encounter the practice of comprehensively governing a socialist country, and many of their principles about future society were predictive; socialist countries such as the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe once attempted and explored, accumulating some practical experience, but ultimately committed serious errors because they failed to find a scientific theory that kept pace with the times, and thus did not solve this problem. Xi Jinping’s important discourse on social governance scientifically answers major questions such as what socialist social governance with Chinese characteristics is and how to advance socialist social governance with Chinese characteristics, innovating and developing the theory of social governance with Chinese characteristics. In particular, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, on the basis of proposing to better align relations of production with productive forces and the superstructure with the economic base, further proposed to better align national governance with social development. This is a theoretical summary of the practical experience of advancing the modernization of the social governance system and governance capacity through comprehensive deepening of reform in the New Era, marking a further deepening of our Party’s understanding of the laws of governance by the Communist Party, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of the development of human society. [1]1 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC was held in July 2024. It focused on further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization.

从理论上看，自社会主义诞生以来，怎样治理社会主义这样全新的社会、怎样在一个社会主义国家推进社会治理体系和治理能力现代化，以往世界社会主义的理论和实践都没有回答。马克思、恩格斯没有遇到全面治理一个社会主义国家的实践，他们关于未来社会的原理很多是预测性的；苏联和东欧等社会主义国家曾经进行了尝试和探索，取得了一些实践经验，但终因未曾找到与时俱进的科学理论而犯下了严重错误，没有解决这个问题。习近平总书记关于社会治理的重要论述，科学回答了什么是中国特色社会主义社会治理、怎样推进中国特色社会主义社会治理等重大问题，创新发展了中国特色社会治理理论。特别是党的二十届三中全会在提出推动生产关系和生产力、上层建筑和经济基础更好相适应的基础上，进一步提出推动国家治理和社会发展更好相适应，是对新时代以来我国以全面深化改革推进社会治理体系和治理能力现代化实践经验的理论总结，标志着我们党对共产党执政规律、社会主义建设规律、人类社会发展规律认识的进一步深化。

From the perspective of institutional construction, in the course of leading China’s revolution, construction, and reform, our Party has adhered to integrating the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the fine traditional Chinese culture. After the founding of New China, and especially since reform and opening up, our Party has actively explored social governance and accumulated rich experience. General Secretary Xi Jinping systematically summarized the experience of our Party in strengthening and improving social governance since the New Era, proposed unswervingly taking the path of socialist social governance with Chinese characteristics, comprehensively advanced the process of modernizing the social governance system and governance capacity, and focused on promoting the systematization, scientization, intelligentization, and law-based governance of social governance. This has made socialist social governance with Chinese characteristics more mature and more established in terms of institutions, providing a solid institutional guarantee for the development of the Party and the state’s undertakings, for the happiness and well-being of the people, for social harmony and stability, and for the long-term peace and order of the country.

从制度建设看，在领导中国革命、建设、改革进程中，我们党坚持把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际、同中华优秀传统文化相结合。新中国成立后特别是改革开放以来，我们党对社会治理进行积极探索，积累了丰富经验。习近平总书记系统总结了新时代以来我国加强和改进社会治理的经验，提出坚定不移走中国特色社会主义社会治理之路，全面推进社会治理体系和治理能力现代化的进程，着力推进社会治理系统化、科学化、智能化、法治化，使中国特色社会主义社会治理在制度上更加成熟更加定型，为党和国家事业发展、为人民幸福安康、为社会和谐稳定、为国家长治久安提供了坚实制度保障。

From an international perspective, at present, the world is witnessing in-depth development of multipolarity, economic globalization, cultural diversity, and social informatization, while the instability and uncertainty of the international situation have become more prominent. In recent years, some Western countries, or countries that have mechanically copied the experience of Western modernization, have experienced political turmoil due to immigration conflicts, some have found it difficult to escape the middle-income trap due to increased class interest contradictions and widening regional development gaps, some have changed policies overnight due to party interest struggles, and some have been thrown into instability by the influence of populism, among other things. One important reason for this is the failure to find a social governance model suited to themselves. After the founding of New China, our Party led the people in creating the two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, which are rare in the world. Especially since the New Era, our Party has continuously improved the social governance system, strengthened the overall prevention and control of public security, strived to raise the level of public safety governance, and successfully continued to write a new chapter in the “two major miracles” of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. Xi Jinping’s important discourse on social governance has contributed Chinese wisdom to the stable and healthy development of human society and provided a social governance model that can serve as a reference for developing countries to independently advance toward modernization.

从国际来看，当前，世界多极化、经济全球化、文化多样化、社会信息化深入发展，国际形势的不稳定性不确定性更加突出。近年来，一些西方国家或照搬照抄西方现代化经验的国家，有些因为移民冲突而酿成政治震荡，有些因为阶层利益矛盾加大、地区发展差距拉大而难以摆脱中等收入陷阱，有些因为政党利益之争而朝令夕改，有些因为民粹主义影响而动荡不安，等等。其中一个重要原因在于没有找到适合自身的社会治理方式。新中国成立后，我们党领导人民创造了世所罕见的经济快速发展奇迹和社会长期稳定奇迹。特别是新时代以来，我们党不断完善社会治理体系，强化社会治安整体防控，着力提高公共安全治理水平，成功续写了经济快速发展和社会长期稳定“两大奇迹”新篇章。习近平总书记关于社会治理的重要论述，为人类社会的平稳健康发展贡献了中国智慧，为广大发展中国家独立自主迈向现代化提供了可资借鉴的社会治理方式。

The Essence and Core Meaning of Xi Jinping’s Important Discourse on Social Governance

习近平总书记关于社会治理的重要论述的精髓要义

Social governance is an important aspect of national governance. Xi Jinping’s important discourse on social governance has rich connotations, which we must deeply grasp and resolutely implement.

社会治理是国家治理的重要方面。习近平总书记关于社会治理的重要论述具有丰富内涵，我们必须深刻把握并坚决贯彻落实。

Upholding the leadership of the Party. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest strength of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics.” Party leadership is comprehensive, systematic, and holistic; it can mobilize and integrate forces from all sides, coordinate social interest relations between regions, departments, and groups, and provide a fundamental guarantee for strengthening social governance. In the social governance system featuring Party committee leadership, government responsibility, democratic consultation, social coordination, public participation, rule-of-law guarantees, and technological support, upholding Party committee leadership and strengthening Party-building guidance are key. One focus of current work is to comprehensively, completely, and accurately implement Xi Jinping’s important discourse on social governance, prominently grasp the work of Party building in new economic organizations, new social organizations, and new employment groups, continuously enhance the Party’s appeal, cohesion, and influence in emerging fields, and realize Party leadership that extends vertically to the bottom and horizontally to the margins. At the same time, we must uphold Party-building guidance for grassroots governance and grassroots political power construction, resolutely oppose formalism of all kinds, and strive to reduce burdens at the grassroots level.

坚持党的领导。习近平总书记指出：“中国共产党领导是中国特色社会主义最本质的特征，是中国特色社会主义制度的最大优势”。党的领导是全面的、系统的、整体的，能够动员整合各方面力量，统筹地区之间、部门之间、群体之间的社会利益关系，为加强社会治理提供了根本保障。在党委领导、政府负责、民主协商、社会协同、公众参与、法治保障、科技支撑的社会治理体系中，坚持党委领导、加强党建引领是关键。当前工作的一个重点，就是全面、完整、准确贯彻习近平总书记关于社会治理的重要论述，突出抓好新经济组织、新社会组织、新就业群体党的建设工作，不断增强党在新兴领域的号召力凝聚力影响力，实现党的领导纵向到底、横向到边。同时，坚持党建引领基层治理和基层政权建设，力戒形形色色的形式主义，努力为基层减负。

Adhering to a people-centered approach. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must form effective social governance and good social order, promote social fairness and justice, and enable the people to live and work in peace and contentment, making their sense of gain, happiness, and security more substantial, more guaranteed, and more sustainable.” Adhering to a people-centered approach is the starting point and ultimate goal of strengthening social governance. The purpose of raising the level of social governance is to effectively safeguard social fairness and justice, protect the interests of the people, and continuously improve people’s well-being in the process of properly handling the relationship between reform, development, and stability. Strengthening social governance must respect the principal position of the people, respect the people’s pioneering spirit, learn from the people, and, through institutional innovation, implement the people’s rights to participation, information, management, and supervision. The process of social governance is also a process of continuously solving the people’s urgent, difficult, and anxious problems. By continuously promoting the realization of childcare, education, employment, medical care, elderly care, housing, and support for the vulnerable, we can meet the people’s needs for a better life to the greatest extent. To evaluate the effectiveness of social governance, we must take seeking happiness for the people as the standard and see whether the results of social governance can better benefit the broad masses of the people and whether they bring the people a tangible sense of gain.

坚持以人民为中心。习近平总书记指出：“要形成有效的社会治理、良好的社会秩序，促进社会公平正义，让人民群众安居乐业，获得感、幸福感、安全感更加充实、更有保障、更可持续。”坚持以人民为中心是加强社会治理的出发点和落脚点。提高社会治理水平，目的在于切实维护社会公平正义，维护人民群众利益，在处理好改革发展稳定关系的过程中不断增进民生福祉。加强社会治理必须尊重人民主体地位，尊重人民首创精神，拜人民为师，并通过机制创新将人民的参与权、知情权、管理权和监督权落到实处。社会治理的过程也是不断解决人民急难愁盼问题的过程，通过不断推动幼有所育、学有所教、劳有所得、病有所医、老有所养、住有所居、弱有所扶，最大程度满足人民群众的美好生活需要。评判社会治理的成效，要把为人民谋幸福作为标准，要看社会治理成果是否能够更好惠及广大人民群众、是否给人民群众带来实实在在的获得感。

Adhering to joint contribution, joint governance, and shared benefits. Joint contribution means participating together in social construction; joint governance means participating together in social governance; shared benefits means jointly enjoying the fruits of social governance. Joint contribution and joint governance are the foundation of shared benefits, and shared benefits are the goal of joint contribution and joint governance. This reflects our Party’s emphasis on guaranteeing the right of all people to participate in social construction and social governance, and on safeguarding the rights and interests of all people in enjoying the fruits of social governance. Under the leadership of the Party, giving full play to the role of the government, enterprises and public institutions, social organizations, urban and rural community organizations, volunteer service groups, and the general public can effectively reduce the cost of social governance and improve the efficiency of social governance. In recent years, forms such as “democratic consultation meetings,” “participatory budgeting,” “small courtyard discussion halls,” and “open-air meetings” have continuously emerged, and people’s mediation, administrative mediation, and judicial mediation have been linked. The service capacity of the Party and the government to effectively respond to the needs of the masses and solve their appeals has improved, expanding a new situation in social governance through joint contribution, joint governance, and shared benefits.

坚持共建共治共享。共建是共同参与社会建设，共治是共同参与社会治理，共享是共同享有社会治理成果。共建共治是共享的基础，共享是共建共治的目标。这体现了我们党对保障全体人民参与社会建设、社会治理权利的重视，对全体人民享有社会治理成果权益的维护。在党的领导下，充分发挥政府、企事业单位、社会组织、城乡社区组织、志愿服务团体、社会公众的作用，才能有效降低社会治理成本，提高社会治理效能。近年来，“民主恳谈会”“参与式预算”“小院议事厅”“坝坝会”等形式不断涌现，人民调解、行政调解、司法调解等联动。党和政府有效回应群众需求、解决群众诉求的服务能力提升，以共建共治共享拓展了社会治理新局面。

Adhering to law-based governance. The rule of law is an important pillar of the national governance system and governance capacity, and law-based governance is the most reliable and stable form of governance. The “Implementation Outline for Building a Law-Based Society (2020–2025)” clearly states that by 2025, the level of law-based social governance will be significantly improved, forming a vibrant situation in building a law-based society that conforms to national conditions, reflects the characteristics of the times, and satisfies the people, laying a solid foundation for basically building a law-based society by 2035. Combining the construction of a law-based society with law-based governance, adhering to the joint advancement of law-based governance, law-based exercise of state power, and law-based administration, and promoting the integrated construction of a law-based state, law-based government, and law-based society can effectively reduce the costs of resolving social contradictions, form mechanisms for equal cooperation, dialogue, consultation, and communication among multiple subjects such as the government, enterprises and public institutions, social organizations, communities, and individuals, standardize and guide social affairs and social life, and comprehensively raise the level of law-based social governance. Adhering to law-based governance requires joint efforts in legislation, law enforcement, judiciary, and law-abiding, while also paying attention to the role of rule by virtue, striving to implement the concept of “law pacifies the world, virtue nourishes the heart” throughout the entire process of social governance.

坚持依法治理。法治是国家治理体系和治理能力的重要依托，依法治理是最可靠、最稳定的治理。《法治社会建设实施纲要（2020—2025年）》明确提出，到2025年社会治理法治化水平显著提高，形成符合国情、体现时代特征、人民群众满意的法治社会建设生动局面，为2035年基本建成法治社会奠定坚实基础。将法治社会建设和依法治理相结合，坚持依法治国、依法执政、依法行政共同推进，推进法治国家、法治政府、法治社会一体建设，能够有效降低化解社会矛盾的各项成本，形成政府、企事业单位、社会组织、社区以及个人等多方主体的平等合作、对话、协商、沟通机制，规范和引导社会事务和社会生活，全面提升社会治理的法治化水平。坚持依法治理，要从立法、执法、司法、守法各个环节共同发力，同时也要注意发挥德治的作用，努力将法安天下、德润人心的理念贯彻到社会治理的全过程。

The Practical Power of Xi Jinping’s Important Discourse on Social Governance

习近平总书记关于社会治理的重要论述的实践伟力

Xi Jinping’s important discourse on social governance, with its strong theoretical guiding force, directs new practices in social governance, promotes historic changes, systematic reshaping, and holistic reconstruction of social governance, and, under the complex situation of the accelerated evolution of changes unseen in a century and the extremely arduous tasks of domestic reform and development, successfully maintains the overall stability of society and continues to write a new chapter in the miracle of long-term social stability.

习近平总书记关于社会治理的重要论述，以其强大理论引领力指导社会治理新实践，推进社会治理实现历史性变革、系统性重塑、整体性重构，在世界百年未有之大变局加速演进，国内改革发展任务极为繁重的复杂形势下，成功保持社会大局稳定，续写了社会长期稳定奇迹的新篇章。

Promoting social system reform in the New Era. Under the leadership of the Party, we have correctly handled the relationship between the government and society, given full play to the Party’s core leadership role in overall planning and coordinating all parties, and established the Central Social Work Department, responsible for overall guidance of people’s petition work, guiding the collection of people’s suggestions, comprehensively promoting Party-building guidance for grassroots governance and grassroots political power construction, uniformly leading the Party work of national industry associations and chambers of commerce, coordinating and promoting the deepening reform and transformation and development of industry associations and chambers of commerce, guiding Party building work in mixed-ownership enterprises, non-public enterprises, new economic organizations, new social organizations, and new employment groups, and guiding the construction of a social work talent team, among other tasks. At the same time, we have accelerated the implementation of the separation of government from society, clarified the responsibilities of social organizations, focused on cultivating and giving priority to the development of social organizations such as industry associations and chambers of commerce, science and technology, public welfare and charity, and urban and rural community service organizations, and entrusted social organizations with public services and matters suitable for them to provide. We have given full play to the functions and advantages of social organizations in participating in social governance, smoothed and standardized the channels for social organizations to participate in social governance, and supported and developed volunteer service organizations to participate in social governance. In addition, we have comprehensively promoted the reform of the decoupling of industry associations and chambers of commerce from administrative organs, promoting industry associations and chambers of commerce to improve service levels, operate in accordance with the law, develop healthily and orderly, and give full play to their role, advancing the modernization of social governance.

推动新时代社会体制改革。在党的领导下，我们正确处理政府和社会的关系，充分发挥党总揽全局、协调各方的领导核心作用，并组建中央社会工作部，负责统筹指导人民信访工作，指导人民建议征集工作，统筹推进党建引领基层治理和基层政权建设，统一领导全国性行业协会商会党的工作，协调推动行业协会商会深化改革和转型发展，指导混合所有制企业、非公有制企业和新经济组织、新社会组织、新就业群体党建工作，指导社会工作人才队伍建设等。同时，加快实施政社分开，明确社会组织职责，重点培育和优先发展行业协会商会类、科技类、公益慈善类、城乡社区服务类社会组织，并将适合由社会组织提供的公共服务和解决的事项交由社会组织承担。充分发挥社会组织参与社会治理的功能和优势，畅通和规范社会组织参与社会治理的通道，支持和发展志愿服务组织参与社会治理。此外，还全面推开行业协会商会与行政机关脱钩改革，促进行业协会商会提升服务水平、依法规范运行、健康有序发展、充分发挥作用，推进社会治理现代化。

Shift the focus of social governance downward to the grassroots level. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must shift the focus of social governance downward to the grassroots level, placing more resources, services, and management into communities.” The grassroots are the foundation of social harmony and stability. Emphasizing the grassroots requires moving the center of gravity of social governance downward, better providing precise and refined services to community residents, and widely implementing mass self-management, self-service, self-education, and self-supervision in urban and rural community governance, grassroots public affairs, and public welfare undertakings. Specifically: first, consolidate the role of grassroots Party organizations as battle fortresses, mobilizing the initiative of all grassroots departments and parties to participate in governance. Second, legally clarify the boundaries of power and responsibility between subdistrict offices (township governments) and grassroots mass self-governing organizations, formulate lists of powers and responsibilities for district/county functional departments and subdistrict offices (township governments) in community governance, reasonably determine the jurisdiction and scale of grassroots mass self-governing organizations, and form an organic system where each performs its own functions while cooperating with others. Third, improve the construction of grassroots mass self-governance mechanisms, perfect self-governance carriers such as village (resident) councils, committees, and supervisory committees, and stimulate the endogenous motivation of the masses to participate in grassroots governance. Fourth, strengthen the building of grassroots governance teams and actively cultivate leaders of grassroots Party organizations.

推动社会治理重心向基层下移。习近平总书记指出：“要推动社会治理重心向基层下移，把更多资源、服务、管理放到社区”。基层是社会和谐稳定的基础。重视基层就要推动社会治理重心下沉，更好为社区居民提供精准化、精细化服务，在城乡社区治理、基层公共事务和公益事业中广泛实行群众自我管理、自我服务、自我教育、自我监督。具体来看，一是夯实基层党组织的战斗堡垒作用，调动基层各部门各方面参与治理的积极性。二是依法厘清街道办事处（乡镇政府）和基层群众性自治组织权责边界，制定区县职能部门、街道办事处（乡镇政府）在社区治理方面的权责清单，合理确定基层群众性自治组织的管辖范围和规模，形成各司其职又相互配合的有机系统。三是完善基层群众自治机制建设，完善村（居）民议事会、理事会、监督委员会等自治载体，激发群众参与基层治理的内生动力。四是加强基层治理队伍建设，积极培育基层党组织带头人。

Promote the shift of social governance from offline to the integration of online and offline. With the development of information technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and blockchain, the pace of digital society construction in China has accelerated, and the internet penetration rate and user scale have risen sharply. As of December 2024, the number of internet users in China reached 1.108 billion, and the number of social network users reached 1.101 billion. Wherever society develops, social governance should follow. Our Party fully utilizes the advantages of the internet, such as flattening, interactivity, and speed, to promote the efficiency of public services, strengthen the role of the internet in social governance, advance e-government, smart cities, and rural digital construction, strive to improve the intelligent level of social governance, let data run more errands and let the masses run fewer errands, severely crack down on criminal activities such as online fraud, protect the legitimate rights and interests of netizens, and greatly enhance the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security in social development and progress.

推动社会治理从线下转向线上线下融合。伴随大数据、人工智能和区块链等信息技术的发展，我国数字社会建设步伐加快，互联网普及率和用户规模大幅攀升。截至2024年12月，我国网民规模达11.08亿人，社交网络用户规模达11.01亿人。社会发展到哪里，社会治理就应该跟进到哪里。我们党充分利用互联网扁平化、交互式、快捷性等优势，推进公共服务高效化，强化互联网在社会治理中的作用，推进电子政务、智慧城市、乡村数字建设等，努力提升社会治理智能化水平，让数据多跑路，让群众少跑腿，严厉打击网络诈骗等犯罪活动，维护网民合法权益，极大程度提升了人民在社会发展进步中的获得感、幸福感、安全感。

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s important discourse on social governance, various localities adhere to and develop the “Fengqiao Experience”[11]11 The Fengqiao Experience originated in the 1960s in Fengqiao Township, Zhejiang Province, as a method of resolving conflicts at the grassroots level through mass participation and mediation, later promoted nationwide as a model for social governance. in the New Era, producing many local models of social governance, such as “Party building leading immediate response to complaints,” “Party building leading grassroots governance,” and “Party building leading urban and rural community development and governance,” demonstrating the new characteristics and new atmosphere of grassroots governance in the New Era.

在习近平总书记关于社会治理的重要论述的指导下，各地坚持和发展新时代“枫桥经验”，产生了许多地方性社会治理典范，比如“党建引领接诉即办”“党建引领基层治理”“党建引领城乡社区发展治理”等，展现了新时代基层治理新特点新气象。

(The author is the Dean of the Academy of Chinese-Path Modernization, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

（作者为中国社会科学院中国式现代化研究院院长）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心