The Communist Party of China’s New Central Department of Social Work: Neo-Socialist Governance or Bolshevized Party Discipline?

Under Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) social governance has increasingly prioritized party control over autonomy. In March 2023, the party took a further step in this direction with the establishment of the CCP’s Department of Social Work to reinforce party building among social organizations, private enterprises, letters and visits bureaus, volunteer workers and grassroots government. Social work points to the party’s activities to maintain stability in dealing with forces in society that are not necessarily fully aligned with the party’s goals. As part of a long-standing trend of governance becoming increasingly party-dominated, the Department of Social Work seeks to reduce the autonomy of these forces and ensure their adherence to the requirements of party building and party discipline.