The promotion of “social stability” is one of the core tenets of Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao’s administration, one of their ingredients for building a “harmonious society.” Jiangxi Province’s report on its social stability policy first appeared on February 27 on the Web portal NetEase (here). Two readers left comments:
Society will be stable when it is fair.
公平才能稳定Manage affairs according to the law, conduct investigations according to the law.
要依法办事，依法追究。
Translated by Deng Bolun.
Jiangxi will launch a province-wide, case-by-case investigation of social stability issues, putting each case on file and carrying out early-warning management. Leaders will establish supervision over pressing problems. Yesterday, reporters learned from the Provincial Party Committee Organizational Department, with the official passage of the “Notice Concerning the Full Realization of the Role of Basic Level Party Organization in Maintaining Social Stability,” that basic-level cadres who show excellence in maintaining social stability can be promoted on an unprecedented level. For those who make excuses and shrink from responsibility, causing significant trouble, an unremitting management of the organization must be carried out, monitoring those who should be monitored, relieving from their posts those who should be relieved. Serious cases should be handed over to party and government discipline departments.
Province-Wide Investigation of ConflictsCombine cadres involved in implementing basic-level “Three Go-Tos and Four Togethers* to promote harmony” with those involved in “household visits to understand the people.” We will launch a province-wide investigation of individual social stability cases to promptly grasp the social situation, the will of the people and security trends.
Following the order of village first (neighborhood), then township (residential district) and then county (city, district), every type of conflict and dilemma will be received and heard in the same manner, put in order, classified and managed, dealt with according to the law and handled in a given period of time. For large and difficult problems, we will put into action a cooperative effort between county (city, district), township (residential district) and village (neighborhood). For each dispute there will be one leader, one case file and one thorough investigation. Establish a system of conflict resolution officers. Establish a complete conflict resolution network on the three levels of village (neighborhood), organization (building) and household.
Need for Heart-to-Heart Discussion of Difficulties that the Masses Cause Party Organs
Jiangxi has made stability maintenance an important part of its “vanguard record setting” for party officials, reflected in party officials’ achievement reports, the masses’ appraisal of success, announcements of shining achievement, branch performance of assigned tasks and at every level of the organization’s achievement. We have also established necessary measures to inspire ambition and grant material rewards.
Classify and allocate responsibilities to establish a system in which low-level cadres and party officials engage in heart-to-heart discussion. Low-level party organization secretaries will lead discussion. Other groups and party members must start heart-to-heart talks according to work allocation. High-level party organizational secretaries must talk with low-level secretaries. All levels of party organization secretaries must talk with party member groups. Low-level party branch secretaries must talk with all party members, and group members must talk among themselves. This will be carried out once a year. All levels of party organization will follow work allocation. There must be heart-to-heart talks when personal hardship or accidents occur, when disputes arise, or when something reflects poorly.
Complete Rotating Party Secretary Training in Two Years
Learning from the experience of township (residential district) party organization secretaries rotated through social management training, Jiangxi will take two years to complete focused rotational training of village (neighborhood) party organization secretaries and stability maintenance officers. During this process, new party organization secretaries will complete service training within six months. Cadres, especially outstanding young cadres with potential for improvement through training, will go to petitions departments and frontline crisis posts for practical exercises.
Excellence in Stability Maintenance Can Lead to Promotion
Increase the ability of basic-level party organizations and cadres to assess and appraise stability maintenance. Those who carry out their work carefully, produce outstanding results and show themselves to be desirable should be relied on. Particularly excellent workers can be promoted on an unprecedented level. For those whose understanding does not meet the capacity required by their position, with irresolute attitudes and no practical strength, severe criticism and education must be carried out. For those who are not at their posts at crucial moments, who retreat and create problems, or who do not follow orders, do not have discipline, work perfunctorily and shrink from responsibility, unremitting management of the organization must be carried out. Monitor those who should be monitored and relieve from their posts those who should be relieved. Serious cases should be handed over to party and government discipline departments.
Leading Cadres Are the First Responders to Sudden Incidents
Jiangxi has established that county-level leadership will include the township (residential district) and focus on the village (neighborhood). Township (residential district) leadership will include the village (neighborhood) and control the group (building). Village (neighborhood) cadres will include the group (building) and control the household. Department party members and cadres will include the household and assist at each level. Every level will include the next in a “four-level connection” that forms the stability maintenance work organ. Be clear that maintaining stability is the primary responsibility for the three levels of party organization secretaries in county (city, district), township (residential district) and village (neighborhood). Basic-level party organizations will mediate stability maintenance work tasks and implement maintenance measures. As soon as there is a sudden incident, responsible comrades in lower-level party organizations will work according to previous orders, getting on the scene at the first moment, working face-to-face with the masses, preventing its expansion and spread and promptly reporting factual information and correctly guiding social opinion.
* Three Go-Tos and Four Togethers: This is a training policy initiated in October 2011 which sends cadres to Ningxia, Guangxi and other “revolutionary sites” to experience the daily hardships of less-developed provinces. Cadres go to nationalist offices, geological teams, and mines and eat, live, work and study with grassroots cadres.
