A regulation to strengthen the Communist Party of China's (CPC) role in State organs and non-Party units, especially in social organizations, has been passed over the weekend.

"Leading Party members' groups in State organs, economic, cultural as well as social organizations, and other non-Party units are important channels to guarantee the implementation of the line and policies of the Party and the system must be strengthened and improved," read a statement released after a Friday meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, which was presided over by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

"Including social organizations is the highlight of the regulation, while the CPC constitution does not specify such a category," Xu Yaotong, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, told the Global Times.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) which manages social organizations in China, social groups, foundations and private non-enterprise units all fall under its administration.

About 613,000 social organizations registered in China as of the end of March, the MCA said.

Cai Zhiqiang, a professor  at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, told the Global Times that it is necessary to set up a leading Party members' group in domestic social organizations - some of which do not have such groups yet - in order to maintain the Party's leadership as the foundation of governance in China.

"However, the leading Party members' groups should only serve as a bridge between the Party and social organizations, stressing that they should not excessively interfere in the organizations' management," Cai emphasized.

The establishment of Party groups can contribute to the development of service-oriented NGOs such as organizations for elderly care and poverty alleviation, as their services echo government advocacy, according to Zhang Junfeng, founder of the Beijing-based environmental organization Walk Water Wonderful.

The regulation helps standardize the work of leading Party members' groups, strengthen the CPC's leadership and improve the Party's capability to govern, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

"Some leading Party members' groups have failed to enforce their leading role as their functions and scope of work are vaguely prescribed in the CPC constitution," said Xu.

Xu added that the regulation can help fulfill the Party groups' tasks including anti-corruption work.

Meanwhile, Cai pointed out that social organizations in the regulation exclude international non-governmental organizations which set up branches in China.

"Without the Party's leadership, those organizations are administered in accordance with the law," Cai explained.