The First Governance Modernization Forum was held recently to promote the modernization of national governance systems and governance capacity. Photo: Zha Jianguo/SSCP

Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China 70 years ago, China’s modernization of governance has progressed well in various fields, gradually embarking on a road of socialist modernization with Chinese characteristics. The First Governance Modernization Forum was held recently to promote the modernization of national governance systems and governance capacity.

Jiang Sixian, Party secretary of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and director of the Institute of Chinese City Governance at SJTU, said that modernization of people, especially the modernization of the concept of leading cadres at all levels, should not only be an essential condition but also an important goal of governance modernization. China’s modernization of governance should take China’s national conditions into full consideration while also learning from the advanced experience of other countries.

Shen Wei, executive vice president of the Party School of the Shanghai Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said that in recent years, Shanghai has made great progress in strengthening the Party’s overall leadership, promoting the construction of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone and the Shanghai Technology Innovation Center, deepening the reform of Party and government institutions, innovating with grassroots social governance, and optimizing the business environment. In the future, it will be necessary to further transform government functions, which means the enhancement of the functions of social management and public services and the strengthening of a law-based, service-oriented and smart government.

Li Qi, a professor from the Institute of Governance at the Party School of the Shanghai Committee of the CPC, said that the practices of the past 70 years have proven that to advance governance modernization, we must uphold the Party’s leadership, adhere to the correct development direction, and comply with the aspirations of the people and the trends of the times. The modernization of the Party is the key to the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity.

Wu Jiannan, a professor from the Institute of Chinese City Governance at SJTU, said that over the past 70 years, China has continuously modernized its urban governance. The concept of urban governance has changed its focus from economic functions to service functions and from economic construction to comprehensive development. Governance goals have evolved from short-term to long-term goals and from single to system goals. The means of governance have turned from ideological education to the construction of smart cities, from political to technical means, and from traditional to emerging means.

The construction of a smart government is of great significance for governance modernization. Zhao Yong, director of the academic affairs office of the Party School of the Shanghai Committee of the CPC, said that the construction of smart government in Shanghai would be exemplified by a platform to provide all government services on one website. This reflects the idea of building a smart and service-oriented government and aims to bring more convenience to the people.

Huang Weiping, dean of the Institute of Urban Governance at Shenzhen University, said that the Party and the state support the building of a pioneering demonstration zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics in Shenzhen. The move aims to forge an urban paradigm of a modernized socialist power and to demonstrate the strong vitality and competitiveness of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Feng Xiaomin, former deputy director of the organization department of the Shanghai Committee of the CPC, said that the Party’s leadership in social governance is a favorable feature of China’s governance modernization. The purpose of the CPC is to serve the people wholeheartedly, while the core of social governance is the people. Serving the masses and benefiting the people is the Party’s starting point and ultimate goal. Modern technologies including big data, artificial intelligence and the internet should be the focus of the Party’s leadership of social governance in the new era.

Luo Feng, director of the public administration department of the Party School of the Shanghai Committee of the CPC, said that a large number of voluntary activities were launched in Chinese urban communities under the leadership of the Party. The government has gradually established its own community voluntary services and community organizations with Chinese characteristics. Volunteer organizations are also included in the community public governance system and have become an integral part of community governance.