Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) member Wang Ming, who is also director of the Nongovernmental Organizations Research Institute of Tsinghua University, said on Thursday that China's NGOs can play a vital role in soothing the country's growing conflicts and discontent and in facilitating communications and understanding among people of various social strata.

China's rapid development of the past 25 years has created a widening gap between rich and poor, and between urban and rural areas. These factors are likely to disrupt China's sustained social and economic development.

There are some 3 million NGOs operating in China, but a lack of recognition of their functions and abilities means that their impact has as yet barely been felt, said Wang.

"China should better mobilize non-governmental forces in its conflict resolution mechanism," said Wang. He believes that "varied conflicts" will be the main deterrent to building a harmonious society, the nation's overarching goal recently endorsed by the central authorities.

According to CPPCC National Committee member Jing Tiankui, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' (CASS') Sociology Research Institute, the NGOs will occupy a niche usually beyond the reach of government and corporate bodies and can help to eliminate chronic headaches such as unemployment.

(Xinhua News Agency March 10, 2005)