'Social governance' debuts in 5-year plan
For the first time, Beijing has incorporated a chapter on enhancing 'social governance' in its five-year plan, a reflection of the government's growing anxiety over domestic discontent and fear of contagion from unrest in the Arab world.
A Finance Ministry report released yesterday says the need to maintain stability has also boosted the budget for 'public security' this year to more than 624 billion yuan (HK$738.5 billion), a 13.8 per cent jump from actual spending last year - and more than the military budget.
Fighting crime and keeping public order make up a big chunk of public security spending, which also includes the cost of emergency responses to natural disasters, and food and production safety.
The authorities' nervousness over social discontent is particularly evident during this year's annual meetings of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Hundreds of police are expected to deploy in major cities today, for the third Sunday in a row, after calls for gatherings following the 'jasmine revolutions' in North Africa. Hundreds of activists are either in detention or have been warned not to go to the gatherings.
In his annual work report yesterday, Premier Wen Jiabao said the government would address people's discontent and 'effectively solve problems that cause great resentment among the masses'.
He named inflation, illegal land grabs, food safety and corruption as top concerns.
Wen said the government would improve the petitioning system and the government's mediation of social conflicts.
The five-year plan for the years to 2015 also says the government will adopt preventive measures to reduce social problems and improve emergency responses. It will strengthen the role of grass-roots organisations to better monitor floating populations such as rural migrants in cities, and strengthen the role of property management organisations and property owners' associations to improve services and surveillance of community affairs.
The government plans to build more community service centres to provide social services, maintain social stability and handle petitions.
The plan says the government will build emergency response teams of police, paramilitary and army personnel and 'combat forces'. Experts and volunteers will assist the teams. It will improve emergency relief inventories to prepare for natural disasters.
The concept of 'innovative social governance methods' was brought to the public's attention last month at a pre-NPC training conference for provincial and ministerial officials, when President Hu Jintao and Vice-President Xi Jinping stressed the need for new thinking on administration to maintain social order and harmony.
The recognition of the positive role of social organisations prompted speculation that the government might relax controls on the setting up of non-governmental organisations, but NGO staff said it was too soon to tell and the focus would be on strengthening traditional party- or government-affiliated organisations.
Expensive security
This year's public security budget has risen to more than 624 billion yuan, a rise on last year's spending of: 13.8%
