China's "new social stratum," a term officially used to label
businessmen and professionals, is increasingly showing interest in
politics, the latest issue of a Communist Party of China (CPC)
magazine said.
"They want to participate in political affairs and realize their
political ambitions so that their interests can be protected and
voices heard," said an investigative report in the weekly Study
Times sponsored by the Party School of the CPC Central
Committee.
The concept of "new social stratum" was officially put forward
by former Party leader and Chinese President Jiang Zemin in his
speech to mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the CPC in
2001.
"New social stratum" includes private entrepreneurs, technicians
and managerial staff in private or foreign-funded companies and the
self-employed and employees in intermediate organizations.
A recent survey made in Changzhou, in east China's Jiangsu Province
and a city known for its booming private businesses, showed that
84.06 percent of new social stratum members considered their
participation in political affairs to be important but
insufficient, with much room for improvement.
In Shenzhen in the southern Guangdong Province where China's
economic reform first started, only 19 percent of the surveyed new
social stratum were satisfied with their participation in political
affairs while 73.2 percent chose "so-so" and "not good".
Among them, 55.6 percent of technicians in private companies in
Shenzhen felt they did not have a "smooth" access to politics.
Most complaints were about not having enough smooth channels for
them to participate in political affairs. For example, members of
new social stratum, who traditionally have few links with political
circles, may have had few chances to attend meetings convened by
the government or Party, said the report.
Some from the new social stratum become deputies to the people's
congresses and members of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference. Other professionals have worked as
prosecutors and auditors in judicial and government
departments.
However, these are mostly for the practice of individuals, said
the report.
According to the report, China's new social stratum mainly
wanted to solve problems instead of promoting new political ideas
through their political efforts. They spoke about the policy of
registered permanent residence and against the wrong-doings of
officials and the bureaucracy of government departments.
Those elected into the NPC, China's top legislature, made
motions about social development, city planning and public
services, the magazine said.
China's new social stratum is estimated to number 50 million and
own or manage about 10 trillion yuan (US$1.34 trillion) of capital,
according to the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central
Committee.
(Xinhua News Agency November 8, 2007)