(Photo/Ye Ke)

On November 18, 2019, the "International Forum: The Significance of China's Social Governance to the World" was held in the Wuxing District of Huzhou city, Zhejiang Province, where 200 experts and scholars from over 20 countries gathered together to discuss the significance of China’s governance for the international community. 

During the forum, all keynote speakers fully affirmed the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. As proven by practice, China's system for governance is a system full of vitality and strength. The communique of the fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) reported that the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is a scientific system developed by both the Party and the people through long-term practice and exploration.  

The significance of China’s socialist governance has aroused heated discussions between experts and scholars from all around the world. Martin Albrow, a British sociologist who is famous for his works on globalization, said that social governance in China is rooted in a centuries’ old culture where government is an integral part in people’s relationships with each other. He also indicated that China is effectively drawing a distinction between national and local governance. In reference to President Xi’s thoughts on how social governance might help towards solving Europe’s social tensions, Martin frankly said that the area President Xi’s ideas are relevant in the West is in their practical application of theory. “No Western leader today exhibits the comprehensive intellectual scope of his thinking on governance”, he said.  

(Photo/Ye Ke)

On November 17, 2019, all guests were invited to visit social governance case studies in China, including the Zhili Town of Wuxing District in Huzhou, and Yu Village in Anji for which President Xi first asserted “green mountains and clear water are as good as mountains of gold and silver”.