The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has issued a new directive aimed at strengthening its grassroots social governance by building up a professional social work force with stronger Party oversight. On March 1, the CCP Central Committee and the State Council released a policy document titled “Opinions on Advancing the Development of Professional Social Workers,” marking the latest initiative from the Central Social Work Department, established in 2023. The move also responds to goals outlined in China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) to improve the professionalism of social workers.
The document contains six sections and 11 measures, covering four key areas: strengthening ideological and political guidance, improving professionalization, deepening professional training, and enhancing social work education. A central theme is expanding Party influence within social work institutions, with authorities pledging to accelerate the formation of Party organizations inside social service agencies to improve both Party organizational reach and the quality of its work.
On the professional development front, the document calls for clearly defining job roles and standards for social workers in public services and social governance, while also cultivating new fields and service models to create employment growth in the sector. Social organizations, businesses, and eligible government bodies are all encouraged to establish dedicated social work positions.
The directive comes despite ongoing fiscal pressures across many Chinese localities, where civil servants and doctors have reportedly faced pay cuts. Last year’s national fiscal work conference emphasized protecting basic spending on livelihoods, salaries, and operations. Nevertheless, the document pushes for expanding the capacity of social work.
The stated goal is that within approximately five years, the social work profession will see a more balanced structure, significantly improved professionalization, a larger pool of high-level talent, and steady growth in the number of social work positions nationwide.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), March 15, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202603150097.aspx