Generally speaking, these three concepts are similar and can be used interchangeably, but they are slightly different.

According to my speculation, the word people's group is to indicate that the group represents the people; the word social group indicates that the group is non-party from the perspective of social management; the word mass group indicates that the group is unofficial.

Social groups, as defined in the "Regulations on the Registration and Management of Social Groups" of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, refer to non-profit social organizations that are voluntarily formed by Chinese citizens and carry out activities in accordance with their charter in order to realize the unanimous wishes of their members.

However, in fact, the current social groups in China are of a quasi-official nature, because the "Regulations on the Registration and Management of Social Groups" stipulates that the establishment of social groups must submit approval documents from the competent business departments. In other words, social groups are actually affiliated with the competent business departments.

under.

To use the official formulation, it is: it is not only an organization of the people themselves, but also a link and bridge between the Communist Party of China and the people.

The "Regulations on the Registration and Management of Social Groups" also stipulates that people's organizations that participate in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; groups that are verified by the institutional establishment management authority of the State Council and are exempted from registration with the approval of the State Council; internal agencies, groups, enterprises and institutions that are approved by the unit

Groups approved to be established and operating within the unit are not within the scope of registration under these regulations.

China has nearly 2,000 national social groups.

Among them, there are about 200 social groups that use administrative or institutional establishments and are funded by the state finance.

Among these nearly 200 groups, the people’s organizations participating in the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference include the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), the Communist Youth League of China (*** Youth League), and the All-China Women’s Federation (National Federation of Trade Unions).

Women's Federation), China Association for Science and Technology, All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, All-China Taiwan Compatriots Association, All-China Youth Federation, and All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce.

Among them, the ACFTU, the Communist Youth League, and the All-China Women's Federation have special political status and extensive social influence.

There are 16 social groups whose political status is not as good as the above three social groups, but they are also quite special.

They are: China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, China Association for Science and Technology, All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Chinese Writers Association, China Law Society, Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Council for the Promotion of International Trade, China Disabled Persons’ Federation, Soong Ching Ling Foundation, China Journalists Association, All-China Taiwan Federation, Whampoa Military Academy Alumni Association, China Foreign Affairs University,

Red Cross Society of China, Chinese Workers’ Ideological and Political Work Research Association, European and American Alumni Association.

The main tasks, organizational structure and leadership positions of the above 19 social groups are directly determined by the central agency management department. Although they are non-governmental organizations, they perform some government functions to a large extent.

At present, the 21 mass organizations and organizations directly managed by the central organizational establishment management department are: All-China Federation of Trade Unions, Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, All-China Women’s Federation, China Federation of Literary and Art Circles,

Chinese Writers Association, China Association for Science and Technology, All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, China Law Society, Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, All-China Journalists Association, All-China Taiwan Compatriots Association, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, China Disabled Persons

Federation, Red Cross Society of China, Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, Soong Ching Ling Foundation, Whampoa Military Academy Alumni Association, European and American Alumni Association, Chinese Workers' Ideological and Political Work Research Association, China Vocational Education Society, and All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce.