Society Work Department

{{Short description|Agency of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party}}{{Distinguish|Society Department}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = Society Work Department

| formation = 2023

| native name = {{nobold|{{lang|zh-hans|中国共产党中央委员会社会工作部}}}}

| image = File:Danghui.svg

| image_size = 120px

| abbreviation =

| formerly =

| predecessor =

| merged =

| merger =

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| type = Department directly reporting to the Central Committee
Ministerial level agency

| headquarters = Beijing

| coords =

| leader_title = Head

| leader_name = Wu Hansheng

| leader_name2 =

| key_people =

| main_organ =

| parent_organization = Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party

| subsidiaries = National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration

| affiliations =

| website = {{Official URL}}

}}{{Chinese

| title = Society Work Department

| s = 中国共产党中央委员会社会工作部

| t = 中國共產黨中央委員會社會工作部

| p = Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng Zhōngyāng Wěiyuánhuì Shèhuì Gōngzuò Bù

| order = st

| c =

| j =

| mi =

| ci =

| altname =

}}

The Society Work Department{{Cite web |title=本部介绍--部门简介--中共中央社会工作部 |url=https://www.zyshgzb.gov.cn/459401/459462/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250303212337/https://www.zyshgzb.gov.cn/459401/459462/index.html |archive-date=2025-03-03 |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=www.zyshgzb.gov.cn}} is a ministry-level agency under the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, responsible for handling public complaints and proposals, nationwide industry associations and chambers of commerce, and party building work for societal organizations.

History

The Society Work Department was established in March 2023 under General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping as part of the plan on reforming Party and state institutions.{{Cite news |last1=Hong |first1=Chun Wan |last2=Zhai |first2=Keith |date=16 March 2023 |title=China's Communist Party Overhaul Deepens Control Over Finance, Technology |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-communist-party-overhaul-deepens-control-over-finance-technology-6acdd43c?mod=world_lead_pos3 |url-access=subscription |access-date=16 March 2023 |work=The Wall Street Journal |archive-date=16 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316161822/https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-communist-party-overhaul-deepens-control-over-finance-technology-6acdd43c?mod=world_lead_pos3 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=May 4, 2023 |title=Reform Plan for Party and State Institutions |url=https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/reform-plan-for-party-and-state-institutions/ |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=Center for Security and Emerging Technology |language=en-US}} On 8 July 2023, Wu Hansheng was appointed as the first head of the Department.{{Cite news |date=8 July 2023 |title=Former Senior China Graft Buster Appointed to New Public Complaints Agency |work=Caixin |url=https://www.caixinglobal.com/2023-07-08/former-senior-china-graft-buster-appointed-to-new-public-complaints-agency-102073742.html |access-date=8 July 2023}} In November 2024, Xi stated that the department's functions were "vital to the party's long-term governance."{{Cite news |date=December 31, 2024 |title=Xi Jinping has much to worry about in 2025 |url=https://www.economist.com/china/2024/12/31/xi-jinping-has-much-to-worry-about-in-2025 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-01-02 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}}

Function

The department oversees the interactions of the CCP with civic groups, chambers of commerce and industry groups, as well as party-building work in mixed-ownership and non-public enterprises. It additionally handles public petitions and grievances, and has a "unified leadership" over the National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration.{{Cite web |title=中共中央 国务院印发《党和国家机构改革方案》_中国经济网——国家经济门户 |url=http://www.ce.cn/cysc/newmain/yc/jsxw/202303/16/t20230316_38447603.shtml |access-date=2023-03-16 |website=Economic Daily}}{{Cite news |last=Wang |first=Kelly |date=17 March 2023 |title=China's Institutional Shake-Up Produces New Department to Better Handle Public's Complaints |work=Caixin |url=https://www.caixinglobal.com/2023-03-17/chinas-institutional-shake-up-produces-new-department-to-better-handle-publics-complaints-102009361.html |access-date=18 March 2023 |archive-date=17 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317223246/https://www.caixinglobal.com/2023-03-17/chinas-institutional-shake-up-produces-new-department-to-better-handle-publics-complaints-102009361.html |url-status=live }}

List of directors

class="wikitable"

!Officeholder

!Term start

!Term end

!General secretary

!Ref.

Wu Hansheng

|8 July 2023

|Incumbent

|Xi Jinping

|

References