New Social Organization

It refers to various non-governmental social organizations in contrast to traditional forms of organization such as political parties and governments that have emerged during the development of the socialist market economy in China since the Reform and Opening-up. They mainly include social groups, private non-enterprise units, and foundations, social intermediary organizations and social organizations in urban and rural communities, etc. The term “new social organizations” appeared earlier in Shanghai in the 1990s. Compared with the concepts of “social organizations”, “civil organizations” and “mass organizations”, its characteristic is to narrow the scope to refer to civil organizations emerged in the process of the development and improvement of the socialist market economy system. In addition to various non-governmental organizations that are allowed to register in accordance with regulations, it also includes non-governmental and quasi-civil organizations formed spontaneously that are not allowed to be registered with the civil affairs departments under current laws and regulations. The types of new social organizations mainly include: (1) Social groups. It refers to non-profit social organizations that are formed voluntarily by Chinese citizens in accordance with the “Regulations on the Registration and Management of Social Organizations” and carry out activities in accordance with their articles of association in order to achieve the common wishes of members, including academic associations, industrial associations, professional associations and joint associations, excluding trade unions, Communist Youth League, Women's Federation, Disabled Persons' Federation, Federation of Industry and Commerce, the Red Cross Society of China, China Welfare Institute, China Committee for the Protection of Children, Federation of Humanities and Social Sciences Circles, Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Association of Science and Technology, and religious organizations, etc. (2) Academic associations. Various societies and research associations, etc., mainly composed of experts, scholars and scientific researchers. (3) Industry associations. Industry associations and trade associations, etc., mainly composed of the same companies in various industries in the economic sector. (4) Professional associations. Various associations mainly composed of professionals and professional organizations in various sectors of economy and society, etc. (5) Joint associations. Consortiums mainly composed of groups of people with different interests or various societies, such as federations, chambers of commerce, promotion associations, clubs, alumni associations, and sororities, etc. (6) Industry associations. One of the industrial associations, non-profit legal entities formed voluntarily by inter-industry economic organizations and related units. (7) Private non-enterprise units. It refers to social organizations engaged in non-profit social activities organized by enterprises, public institutions, social organizations, other social forces, and individual citizens using non-state assets in accordance with the “Interim Regulations on the Registration and Management of Private Non-Enterprise Units”. According to their affiliated industries, private non-enterprise units are divided into categories of education, health, cultural, science and technology, sports, labor, and civil affairs, etc. (8) Foundations. It refers to non-profit legal persons established in accordance with law for the purpose of engaging in social welfare undertakings using property donated by natural persons, legal persons or other social organizations, and belongs to non-governmental organizations. Its public welfare is mainly manifested in that it does not benefit specific natural persons, legal persons and other social organizations, but emphasizes the widespread benefit of the public. (9) Community activity teams. It refers to mass organizations composed of community masses spontaneously organized due to different needs such as cultural knowledge, hobbies and physical fitness, etc., that have not been registered with the community management departments, but have been filed with the relevant neighborhood community departments. (10) Intermediary organizations. Also known as “market intermediary organizations” or “market intermediary organizations”, it refers to organizations entrusted as an independent third Party in market economic activities that act as a bridge or intermediary, and use professional technology to provide intellectual services. (11) Non-profit organizations. It refers to legal entities or social entities that are established for the purpose of producing goods and services, but are not allowed to provide income, profit or other financial benefits to the institutions that establish, control or fund them.

After the development since the Reform and Opening-up, new social organizations in China have grown rapidly in scale, type, and quantity, with increasing space for development and increasing overall influence.

China’s new social organizations are developing at a rate of 10% to 15% per year. An organization system with complete categories, different levels, complementary functions, wide coverage, and obvious characteristics has initially been formed, which have played an irreplaceable role in stimulating social vitality, promoting social fairness, reflecting public demands, integrating social forces, and resolving social contradictions, and assumed important responsibilities in coordinating the building of a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way, comprehensively deepening reforms, comprehensively governing the country by law, and operating the CPC comprehensively under strict discipline.

The development of social organizations is also facing many new situations, new problems and new challenges. To this end, the CPC Central Committee issued in September 2015 “Opinions on Strengthening the Work of Party Building in Social Organizations (Trial)”, which clearly proposed the need to promote effective coverage of Party organization and Party work in social organizations, and pointed out that it is necessary to strengthen the Party building work of social organizations, lead the correct development direction of social organizations, stimulate the vitality of social organizations, promote social organizations to play a better role in the modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities, unite social organizations and their practitioner closely around the Party, continuously expand the Party’s influence in social organizations, strengthen the Party’s class foundation, expand the Party’s mass foundation, and consolidate the Party’s ruling foundation.