By Wen Yang
By the end of the last year, the number of cities in China has grown to 672, with an urban population of 831 million and rural population of 564 million. However, by the end of 1949, only less than 40 million people lived in the country’s urban areas, among which the non-agricultural population was only around 27 million.
According to UN report, 2018 Revision of World Urbanization Prospects, China will have added 255 million urban dwellers by 2050.
During the past 70 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the country experienced the largest and most rapid urbanization process in the world. The various governance issues encountered by China during high-speed development and fast transition are unparalleled to most challenges a country could face.
What’s marvelous is that China is not only maintaining stability and order of its urban and rural governance during the process, but has also gradually becoming one of the leading countries in this regard. Chinese cities are always performing well in the statistics of urban crime rate and other similar indexes, and China is one of the countries with the lowest homicide rate, with its society running in order, and people living and working in content.
According to the fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and China’s system for governance are capable of pushing for the continuous progress of the country with nearly 1.4 billion people and ensuring the realization of the two centenary goals toward the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
This statement is fully proved by China’s success in guaranteeing both development and security, as well as the long-term harmony of the Chinese society and the stable and prosperous life of the Chinese people.
Modern countries are multifunctional. They keep the economy to operate smoothly and make reasonable social division of labor. In addition, they have another important function – protecting public security and social stability.
Unrest of society and high crime rate suggest inefficiency or even failure of national and social governance. People lack the sense of security under such circumstances.
The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and China’s system for governance enjoy obvious superiority, and are able to guarantee long-term stability of the society and the stable and prosperous life of the people.
China takes economic development as the central task and ensures the sustained and healthy development of economy. It enables the stable improvement of people’s life quality, as a result of which they acquire a sense of gain and have a steady expectation for a better life in the future.
In addition, it keeps unemployment rate at a low level and reduces the ratio of the jobless group in the total population. The chances for a man to commit crimes would be largely reduced when he has a job and income.
China has established a modern educational system and a legal system conforming to the demend of the time. Education can improve the morality of people, popularize the core socialist values, and prevent crimes from being committed, while legal measures punish the crimes and praise the virtue, guaranteeing that all members of the society obey the laws.
Besides, China has built a series of social security systems including the endowment insurance and medical insurance. Thanks to these systems, the Chinese people are able to share the achievements of reform and development, which promotes the organic integration of the society.
China has enhanced and renewed social governance, and improved its social governance system that is led by Party committees, managed by government, deliberated by non-communist parties, coordinated by society, participated by the public, guaranteed by laws and supported by scientific theories.
It has enhanced the scientific basis and effectiveness of social governance, and improved the socialization, legalization, intelligentization and professionalization of social governance, so as to strengthen its ability to cope with complicated and changing problems of social security.
It is noteworthy that to safeguard public and social security is comprehensive national governance that calls for concerted efforts from all parties. It is pinpointed at the fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC that the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and China’s system for governance ensure the whole country work together and stimulate the enthusiasm of all aspects to mobilize resources for major undertakings.
It is because of such strength that China has realized long-term public security.
(Wen Yang is a researcher from the China Institute of Fudan University and Chunqiu Institute for Developmental and Strategic Studies, Shanghai)
