The General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council recently issued the "Implementation Plan for the Pilot Program to Gradually Take Over Government-Transferred Functions by Societies Affiliated with the China Association for Science and Technology." Societies affiliated with the China Association for Science and Technology taking over government-transferred functions (hereinafter referred to as "taking over and transferring") is a key component of this plan. What is the significance of this? What are the key tasks? How should we take on these responsibilities, and how should we manage them? How can we eliminate the tendency toward “bureaucratization” and avoid the phenomenon of a “second government”? On July 16, Shang Yong, Party Secretary and Executive Vice Chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology, accepted a written interview with a Xinhua News Agency reporter on these issues.

　　 “Combining release and reception” Separation of government and society

　　Q: What is the deeper significance behind the release of this plan?

　　Answer: The introduction of this plan represents an important strategic deployment made by the central authorities to comprehensively deepen reform and strengthen and improve work related to mass organizations. It also serves as a crucial breakthrough for deepening reform within science and technology associations, enabling the China Association for Science and Technology to enter the “main battlefield” of development. and the “deep waters” of reform. “Transition and transformation” is a significant manifestation of the Party’s ongoing strengthening of mass organization work; it is an important, synergistic reform in the shift of government functions; it serves as a vital boost to innovation-driven development; and it represents a powerful force behind innovation in social governance.

　　As a social organization for science and technology workers, the China Association for Science and Technology currently oversees 204 national societies, accounting for 70% of China’s science and technology associations. The above-mentioned initiatives serve as a bridge and link between the Party and the government and the vast number of science and technology workers. The association regards science and technology and talent as two key areas of focus. By uniting, guiding, relying on, and serving science and technology workers, it promotes technological innovation and the transformation and upgrading of service industries, unleashes the innovative vitality of science and technology workers, and supports the implementation of an innovation-driven development strategy.

　　Question: “Chengzhuan” How can the relationship between the government and society be coordinated?

　　Answer: “Transition” This represents a substantive step toward implementing the call of the 18th National Congress and the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee, properly managing the relationship between government and society, and accelerating the implementation of “separation of government and society.” By closely linking “delegation and empowerment” with academic societies as the key纽带, China Association for Science and Technology can establish a flexible working structure characterized by coordinated cooperation between government and society, complete with buffers, thereby making the ecological framework and development direction of social progress more rational.

　　An important goal of accelerating the transformation of government functions is to enable the market to play a decisive role in resource allocation, make greater use of social forces in the provision of public services, and unleash market vitality and social creativity. We should also advance the separation of government and society. We should make greater use of social forces in the public service sector, unleash market vitality and social creativity, and encourage science and technology associations to take on more public service tasks that are well-suited to their unique characteristics. This will allow the government to free itself from specific and micro-level affairs.

　　 De-administration and enhanced service orientation—tackling the “deep waters” of reform.

　　Q: What are the key policy highlights of the plan? What are the overall objectives and main tasks?

　　Answer: The overall goal of expanding the pilot program is to support the need for deepening reform, align with various national reform initiatives, focus on problem-oriented approaches, and place particular emphasis on “administrative functions.” Transformation of institutional mechanisms toward “social public service functions.” The plan clearly outlines expanding pilot programs centered on related scientific and technological assessments, professional qualification certification in engineering and technology fields, development of technical standards, and recommendations for national science and technology awards. These four key tasks all involve the “deep waters” of reform—areas that are valuable, meaningful, and impactful in their role as “transitional links,” and carry substantial “value.”

　　Taking the technology assessment—of greatest concern to the industry—as an example, the peer-review approach currently adopted in China typically involves ad hoc and loosely organized review panels. If errors occur in the assessment results, no one actually takes responsibility. The proposed plan calls for fully leveraging the role of science and technology associations as third-party technology assessors. As independent legal entities, these associations can assume legal responsibility for the outcomes of technology assessments.

　　Q: How can we ensure that the association truly becomes a self-reliant, self-governing, and self-disciplined corporate entity?

　　Answer: In the past, government departments adopted an evaluation model in which they simultaneously held the triple functions of management, implementation, and evaluation for ongoing research projects, talent assessments, and institutional evaluations. This model was neither conducive to talent development and cultivation nor helpful in facilitating the transformation of government functions. “Carrying forward and passing on” Subsequently, the functions that the government “should not be responsible for” will be autonomously taken over by various social entities; as for the functions that the government “cannot manage effectively,” they will be competitively undertaken by various social entities through mechanisms such as government procurement of services and delegation of authority.

　　The development of social organizations in our country is still in its early nurturing stage, and the capacity of these organizations remains insufficient, leading to doubts from both the government and society regarding the transfer of functions. As the saying goes, "To forge iron, one must first be strong oneself." We must focus on enhancing the innovation and service capabilities of these organizations and leverage the “leading role” of a cluster of top-tier associations. Its guiding and driving role enables the association to truly become a self-reliant, self-governing, and self-disciplined corporate entity.

　　 Delegation of power is not “free fall.” 　Firmly avoid the phenomenon of a “dual government.”

　　Question: “Chengzhuan” How can we prevent the emergence of “red-cap intermediaries” and “second governments”?

　　Answer: Taking on functions transferred from the government means assuming responsibility—not power. Once an organization takes on these functions, they become socially-oriented public service roles and no longer carry the nature of administrative authority. It is especially important to eliminate “bureaucratization.” We are inclined to firmly avoid becoming “red-cap intermediaries” or “second governments,” and we will strictly guard against taking the opportunity to amass wealth through illegal charges, arbitrary levies, and other improper practices.

　　"Administrative Management" should be... With a focus on shifting functions toward “public services,” we will carry out de-administration and re-engineering to establish operational and regulatory mechanisms that are both accountable and responsible. In the long run, to ensure both government confidence and market recognition, universities need to leverage their professional expertise and authority, maintain a neutral stance, provide more “specialized” services, and take on fewer “administrative” tasks.

　　Q: How can we achieve accountability and responsibility?

　　Answer: Streamlining administration and delegating power is not simply a matter of letting go without further action; nor does it mean ceasing all interaction with the government. To ensure that social services remain robust after the transfer of functions and that ongoing supervision remains stringent, we must adhere to the principle of “combining deregulation with regulation” in administrative system reform. Avoid letting the streamlining of administration and delegation of power “fall freely” without proper oversight. The associations should proactively accept supervision from relevant government departments and society, avoid rushing ahead or setting unrealistic expectations, refrain from taking things out of context or going off track, and ensure that the handover of government functions is carried out steadily and in an orderly manner, yielding tangible results. While strengthening oversight, we must also provide robust support to ensure that the transferred functions can be effectively and properly taken on, thus establishing a rational and comprehensive regulatory framework. (Yu Xiaojie, Yang Yang)