Good governance key to build fairer society

Editor's note: The decisions taken by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee, which concluded recently, will have a far-reaching impact on society. Two experts share their views on the issue with China Daily's Yao Yuxin: Excerpts follow:

Diversity in the concept of modernization welcome

For me, modernization of governance in China means building a more efficient bureaucratic system and government services meeting people's needs. But in a society as complex as China, it's a big challenge to satisfy all the people, as they have increasingly higher expectations. The problem is not new, but it is more difficult to solve it under the present conditions.

China has established a mechanism to receive people's feedback on public services in order to improve them. And although technology and social media have played a big part in smoothing the communication channel, two problems remains to be addressed.

Given the huge flow of information, the government needs to properly understand and interpret the feedback. And second, the government has to further adjust its role, as there is a big space for NGOs and civil society to take part in social affairs. After all, they are allies of the government and can help it improve its efficiency.

Modernization does not mean Westernization. In fact, there's no fixed model for modernization. As people's lifestyles become increasingly similar, they are creating identity challenges in many countries－for instance, how can a society maintain its cultural identity while embracing globalization.

In this context, modernization with Chinese characteristics will help build a society which offers people alternatives and different paths to development.

The United States is very proud of American values and wants everyone to believe in those values. In contrast, China is developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics which would be fair and inclusive.

And since the US' demands and China's designs are not truly complementary, it's not easy to end the conflicts between them. Still, if we respect diversity, we should welcome the emergence of a power that is different from its Western counterparts and more suitable and appealing to a pluralistic world.

China has been playing an increasingly important role in regional and global affairs because it welcomes diversity in international relations. As such, the US and China should embrace their own values while respecting mutual interest and diversity. But they will take some time to work out how to do so.

Kerry Brown, director of the Lau China Institute at King's College in London

'One country' the basis of 'two systems'

Focusing on how to improve the national governance system and governance capacity, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee highlighted five tasks for optimizing the "one country, two systems" in the Hong Kong (and Macao) Special Administrative Region.

The violent protests in Hong Kong over the past more than five months have exposed some loopholes in the SAR's legislation and the lack of strict law enforcement that have emboldened the protesters to continue unleashing violence and threatening national security. The violent protesters have held the city to ransom, vandalizing public property, and attacking police officers and ordinary residents alike because of weak law enforcement.

As the fourth plenum said, for national security, Hong Kong and Macao should be governed in accordance with China's Constitution and the Basic Law of the SARs, while the central government should back the SARs to strengthen their law enforcement. Actually, both the central and SAR governments have the responsibility to govern Hong Kong. And that is the meaning of the "one country, two systems".

The central government has introduced a number of policies to boost the integrated development of the Chinese mainland and the SARs, including the proposed Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. But some Hong Kong residents' lack of understanding about the motherland's progress has caused unnecessary controversaries.

No wonder the plenary session said that measures should be taken to properly educate the SAR residents about the importance of the rule of law, and China's sovereignty, Chinese history and civilization, so they can see the full picture and better understand the importance of the motherland.

The violent protests will prompt Hong Kong society to reach a wider consensus on the importance of the central government in maintaining peace in Hong Kong. Also, some Hong Kong media outlets should stop misguiding the protesters, and realize that the central government supports Hong Kong's economic and social development. More important, they should realize that "one country" is the very foundation of the "two systems".

Wang Zhenmin, director of the Center for Hong Kong and Macao Studies, Tsinghua University

The views do not necessarily represent those of China Daily.