Editorial, page 1, issue 522
June 6, 2011
Translated by Qi Changlong
Original Chinese: [Chinese]
Social management was the talking point at the politburo of the CPC Central Committee last week. The public has been encouraged to share their opinions since February, when an entire chapter of the 12th Five-Year Plan was dedicated to social management. The subject has recently taken on new importance as “a matter closely related to the Party’s ruling status”. Discussion among policy makers has shown that the essence of social management is to treat people as the foundation, i.e. to serve the people with power endowed by the people. To accomplish this, it is not enough just to have a “small government, big market” structure, it’s also necessary to nurture a “big society”.
Everyone in society wants to live with dignity, hope for social order and without conspicuous risks or chaos. Policy makers are calling for better social management because of the way the country is developing: the rapid growth of the nation’s wealth isn’t creating better conditions for common citizens; social conflicts, such as unequal opportunities and unfair distribution, are worsening, and people don’t have easy channels to express their views. Economic reforms are in progress but they haven’t brought any natural improvement in social management. In order to seize this strategic opportunity, the Chinese government must solve the problems caused by social conflicts, thus creating a stable and harmonious environment for economic development.
Social management needs to be rethought and reinforced, but it should not be conducted like economic planning, as has been the case over the past few years. In an economy, there are clear boundaries between the government and the market, with each performing its own functions. Although it has been questioned and denied during certain periods in history, the idea of the market as an invisible hand allocating resources is generally taken as a basic principle. When faced with social issues, some governmental agencies approach them as though it were a matter of economic planning. Some even think of management simply as a way to regulate and control. They are sometimes so paternalistic as to arrange social affairs by giving orders without communicating with the public. Evidence has shown that regulations and controls rarely promotes an equal dialogue between different levels in society, and can instead create barriers between the government and the public.
Another consequence brought on by this “economic planning” approach is that social organizations have very little ground to stand on. As a result, when a problem occurs that requires a coordinated response from various social organizations it can’t be properly solved - either a social organization is missing or there isn’t an adequate coordination. Meanwhile, public enthusiasm is deflated and evaporates. In turn, since there isn’t any community coordination and public participation, some social conflicts that could be easily resolved by dialogue and coordination grow, occasionally with malignant outcomes.
Policy makers understood this argument when they discussed the topic last week. Social management is “closely connected with the party’s ruling position and the stability of this country and the peacefulness of people’s lives”. China’s economic reform is far-reaching but can’t move further since special interest groups are in the way. If the government fails to makes progress with social management, not only will the economic reforms stagnate, but political reforms will also lack a stable social environment and public support.
The main theme of the government’s work in the 12th Five-Year Plan is to guarantee and improve people’s livelihood. This doesn’t mean more economic investments. It should be understood that a sense of happiness and security doesn’t come simply from material prosperity, but also from every aspects of life in society. This is precisely why policy makers are now emphasizing the importance of social management. When faced with the variety of classes and interest groups in society, governmental departments need to show respect for civil rights, to encourage the representation of various interest groups, to show a willingness to listen to voices below the surface, to serve the people with power endowed by the people and to start to accept public consultation and supervision. This is the basis of an organized and harmonious society.
It is only natural to give power back to the people and let society perform its own functions. Policy makers are sending out a positive signal by proposing the idea of “social coordination and public participation”. That means abandoning old prejudices and suspicion of social organisations and taking a positive step. We hope the government can provide corresponding resources and assistance to nurture an active big society where various social organizations can take care of all the interest groups and join hands to pursue social justice and social values.
