Beijing launches a new body to monitor civil society
The new Social Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party has been launched with a low profile. It aims to strengthen control over private enterprises and other social organisations, as well as deal with the petition system. It is also believed to have the function of an intelligence agency. In the 1940s, a similarly named body hunted down the Kuomintang and participated in purges.
Beijing (AsiaNews) - It is called the Department of Social Work, and according to Chinese official media reports it formally came into operation recently. It is a new Chinese Communist Party body that would aim to extend the party's tentacles outside the public sector, into private enterprises and social organisations.
The authorities are keeping a low profile on this new department within the party and the structure of the organisation has not been disclosed. But analysts believe that the new body will also have the function of collecting social and intelligence information.
The decision to establish it was announced in March during the sessions of the National People's Congress. In the restructuring scheme, the Chinese Communist Party's Social Work Department is responsible for the petition system that allows citizens to file complaints and grievances on the wrongdoings of the authorities.
It should be remembered that the authorities have often been accused of preventing citizens from complaining, even imprisoning and mistreating those who appeal to a higher hierarchy in retaliation. It is believed that the department will burden the function of maintaining social stability.
The Social Work Department also has the function of strengthening the Party in civil society. The CCP structures within private companies and corporations, industrial associations, chambers of commerce and other social organisations are under the leadership of this department.
The Chinese authorities have not formally announced the appointment of the heads of this new body. However, Chief Wu Hansheng (吴汉圣) appeared in official media reports under his new title and attended a conference on the petition system. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Liu Zheng (柳拯) gave a speech at a conference on industry associations and chambers of commerce, according to official media reports.
A body with a similar name, the Central Department of Social Affairs, had existed in the history of the Chinese Communist Party from 1939 to 1949 as an intelligence agency. The nationalist Kuomintang had been the main target of the Central Department of Social Affairs during the civil war. In addition, the department participated in purges within the Party during that period.
Analysts believe that the new department will try to penetrate various aspects of society and strengthen its control over the private sector and non-governmental organisations. In recent years, private companies and foreign companies have been ordered to set up Party committees within companies.
Some commentators also point out that the new body shares a similar function to the United Front's Labour Department, in that the latter covers private companies and the 'new social classes', i.e. employees of private and foreign companies, professionals, freelancers and people working in emerging industries.
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28/10/2017 10:04
