In Depth: China Mulls Changes to Grassroots Governance

At the grassroots of China’s governance system are neighborhood committees in cities and villagers’ committees in rural areas. There are around 119,000 of the former and some 489,000 of the latter.

This grassroots self-governance system was enshrined in the country’s constitution in 1982 and specific laws governing the committees were first adopted in the late 80s.