President Xi calls for better role of mass organizations

President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China's 1.3 billion people should be better mobilized by mass organizations to achieve the country's full potential.

The work of mass organizations is an important component of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) work, as they are the channels that connect the public with the CPC, Xi said at a conference on improving mass organizations.

Mass organizations represent people from different lines of work or age groups, such as trade unions, youth leagues and women's groups.

Mass organizations should mobilize the citizens to closely unite around the CPC and converge people's passion for better life into a strong force... and jointly work for the realization of the Chinese Dream of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Xi said.

"The Party should always share the fate of the people, with their hearts closely linked together," he said.

He also called for the establishment of more powerful organizations that would play an important role in advancing state governance.

This was the first time that the CPC Central Committee has held such a conference, he said, adding the meeting's major task was to address new problems with the Party's work on mass organizations.

The president noted that mass organizations had played a positive role in encouraging the public to follow the Party's leadership.

But he warned there was a risk of "being alienated from the people."

"Under new circumstances, the work of mass organizations should be improved, not weakened or allowed to stagnate," Xi said.

Chu Songyan, a professor with the Chinese Academy of Governance, noted that the role of these organizations had been weakened after reform and opening-up started in the 1970s.

"Their link to the Party was still close then, but they didn't maintain smooth communications with the people they represented," Chu said, stressing that their role should only be amplified "in the new situation".

Xi said these organizations must always follow the leadership of the CPC so that the people can be united around the CPC in the "widest and closet way."

"Mass organizations must maintain a high degree of unity with the CPC Central Committee in thoughts, politics and deeds, and strictly observe political discipline and rules," Xi said.

These organizations should lead the people by encouraging them to stick to the socialist path with Chinese characteristics and championing the practice of "core socialist values," he said.

Xi noted that such mass organizations must enhance engagement with the masses and focus more on the grass roots, said Xi.

Leaders must "immerse themselves with the masses, serving them wholeheartedly, while carrying out the mass-line firmly," said Xi.

He added that the management and operation of these organizations should be adjusted to better suit modern life.

"More outstanding people should be encouraged to join mass organizations," he added.

"Post-1980s and 1990s generations have very active thoughts and a different set of interests and values, and the Communist Youth League has to adapt to that to expand its fan base and improve its service functions," said Ding Yuanzhu, a professor with Peking University.

Xi also stressed that mass organizations should better serve the people and pay special attention to helping those in need.

Liu Dongchao, an expert on Marxism and socialism with Chinese characteristics, noted that mass organizations contributed greatly to the CPC's revolutionary success, and still have a large part to play in the revival of the Chinese nation.

"Different groups of people have different demands and ideas, which might translate into different thoughts and actions. These organizations serve as a pressure valve to relieve people's concerns, as well as a channel to exchange ideas, thus, can help to solve contradictions," Liu said.

Liu called for more stimulative measures to improve operation of mass organizations to better serve the public.

Other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli, also attended the meeting.

Liu said the president's speech provided much food for thought on the work of mass organizations, and he urged all Party members to improve their understanding of the significance of such organizations.

The CPC has always valued the close relationship between the Party and the masses. The leaders launched the "mass line" initiative in June 2013 to boost ties between CPC officials, members and the people, while cleaning up four undesirable work styles -- formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism and extravagance.

What's more, the authorities are promoting "three stricts and three earnests", a series of requirements for officials to improve their life and work raised by the president in March last year. The campaign calls on members to be strict in morals, power and discipline; and honest in decisions, business and behavior.