New Social Strata

It refers to new social groups that have emerged with the emergence of new business types such as new economic organizations and new social organizations since the Reform and Opening-up was launched. The term has broad and narrow definitions. In a broad sense, it refers to non-public ownership economic personages and freelance intellectuals, which mainly include entrepreneurs and technicians of private technology companies, managers and technicians employed in foreign-funded enterprises, self-employed individuals, private entrepreneurs, employees of intermediary organizations, and freelancers; in a narrow sense, it specifically refers to freelance intellectuals. At the First Conference of the 12th National People’s Congress held in March 2013, Xi Jinping pointed out that all non-public ownership economic personages and people from other new social class should carry forward the spirit of labor creativity and entrepreneurship, give back to the society, and benefit the people, and become qualified builders of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this speech, “people from other new social class” are basically the same as “freelance intellectuals”, and for the first time, it was put forward as an independent group side by side with “non-public ownership economic personages”.

The “Regulations on the Work of the United Front of the Communist Party of China (Trial)” issued by the CPC Central Committee in September 2015 formally listed “people from the new social class” as one of the objects of the 12 aspects of united front work. Since then, the extension of the “new social class” has undergone new changes.

At present, the new social class mainly includes four major groups: (1) Managers and technicians of private enterprises and foreign-funded enterprises, which refer to those who are employed by private enterprises and foreign enterprises and have specialized knowledge of enterprise core technology and management; (2) Practitioners of social organizations, including lawyers, accountants, appraisers, tax agents, patent agents and other social professionals who provide intellectual products and services, as well as practitioners of social groups, foundations, and private non-enterprise units; (3) Freelancers, which refer to those who do not work for any economic organization, public institution or government department, and within the scope permitted by national laws, regulations, and policies, rely on their knowledge, skills and expertise to provide certain services to the society and get paid; (4) New media practitioners, which refer to those who use new media as platforms or objects to engage in investment and financing, technology research and development, content production and release, and business management activities themselves or on behalf of specific institutions. The new social class presents eight basic characteristics: many are separated from workers, peasants, cadres and intellectuals; a considerable part are intellectuals; mainly concentrated in the non-public sector of the economy; gather most of the high-income earners in China; some have quite unstable profession and identity; their political appeals are gradually increasing; the vast majority are non-Party personages; and show a trend of continuous expansion. With China’s economic transformation and technological development, emerging business types continue to emerge, and the scope of the new social class will continue to expand, and its number will continue to grow. They play an important and active role in promoting economic and social development, advancing the “four comprehensive” strategic layout, realizing the “two centenary” goals, and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. At the beginning of the 21st century, the number of the new social class was about 50 million, but together with all the employees in related industries, the total number was about 1.5 billion. They control or manage about 10 trillion yuan of capital, use more than half of the country’s technology patents, directly or indirectly contribute to nearly one-third of the national tax revenue, and absorb more than half of the annually newly-increased jobs.

Therefore, under the new situation, it is of great significance to doing a good job in the united front work of the new class and uniting people from the new social class.

In order to guide the healthy growth of the new social class, unite them around the Communist Party of China to the greatest extent, and give full play to their role, the CPC Central Committee issued in November 2006 the “Opinions on Consolidating and Strengthening the United Front in the New Century and New Stage”, taking the people from the new social class as the new focus of the united front work, clearly put forward the 20-character work policy of “full respect, extensive contact, strengthened unity, enthusiastic help, and active guidance” and the working method of “using the community as the link, relying on the community, using the network as the medium, and taking activities as the starting point”. At the Central United Front Work Conference held in May 2015, Xi Jinping gave an in-depth explanation on how to give full play to the positive role of different types of new social classes and put forward clear requirements. In the “Regulations on the Work of the United Front of the Communist Party of China (Trial)” promulgated in September 2015, the CPC Central Committee once again reaffirmed the 20-character work policy and emphasized to “establish a joint conference system led by the United Front Work Department, with the participation of relevant Party and government departments, as well as relevant social groups”. Xi Jinping’s speech at the Central United Front Work Conference and the “Regulations on the Work of the United Front of the Communist Party of China (Trial)” provide scientific guidelines and fundamental follow-ups for the united front work of the new social class in the new era: Firstly, we shall improve working methods, strengthen contact and communication with people from the new social class, fully consider the reasonable requirements of people from the new social class, keep the channels for their interest appeals open, earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of people from the new social class, and strive to create a good environment for the healthy growth and display of talents of people from the new social class. Secondly, we shall strengthen the team building of non-Party representatives of the new social class: the premise is to expand their horizons and identify talents; the key is to strengthen training and improve their quality; the focus should be put on scientific use and giving play to their roles; and the foundation is to focus on management and strict standards, so as to provide talent guarantee for building a well-off society in an all-round way and consolidating and developing the broadest patriotic united front.

Finally, we shall constantly improve the various united front systems of the new social class, improve the scientific and standardized level of united front work for the new social class, strengthen leadership, coordinate forces, build and improve the new social class united front work pattern, and form a good working situation featured by concerted effort and proactiveness.