In September 2022, the English version of China Labor Relations Research 2021 was published by the Economic Science Press. The compilation of this book was led by Professor Fu Deyin, President of the CULR. The content and articles were selected, edited and proofread by the CULR's International Office of Cooperation and Exchange.

This book is an important measure of our university to implement the instructions of Chinese President Xi Jinping on "improving the country's capacity for engaging in international communication to present a true, multi-dimensional and panoramic view of China". Telling stories of China's labor relations well and presenting the true national situation is an important task of improving the capacity for engaging in international communication for China's labor security and trade unions, and meets the urgent needs of building a community with a shared future for mankind and directing the concerted effort of the international community towards decent work.

Building harmonious labor relations with Chinese characteristics in the new era is crucial to the high-quality development of economy and society, political security, social stability and people's peaceful life, as well as the vital interests of vast employees and enterprises. Thus, it plays a significant role in improving the capability of national governance and the development of the contemporary labor movement in China.

This book includes representative research theses on building harmonious relations compiled by the CULR's teachers and researchers since 2015, showcasing the research outcomes of Chinese scholars on harmonious labor relations with Chinese characteristics from multiple perspectives. It contains both an exploration of the external environment of harmonious labor relations with Chinese characteristics, and an in-depth study of the subjects of labor relations. For example, Yang Dongmei summarized the historical evolution and experience of model workers over the past more than 70 years since the founding of the PRC; Ji Shao holistically expounded the mobile employment and labor market system of rural workers since China's reform and opening up to the outside world; Wu Jianping sorted out the trends and characteristics of China's trade union system evolution since the reform and opening up; Ji Wenwen and Xiao Zhu analyzed the employment status, identity confirmation and rights protection of the workers of new business forms in the context of digital economy. A few scholars probed into the relevant labor relations systems. For example, Guo Peng studied the historical changes and reforms of the "united accounts of social welfare and personal accounts" of basic pension insurance in China; Li Ke et al. reviewed and pondered over the historical evolution of labor education in China; Ye Ying presented a case study on the cross-cultural systems for harmonious labor relations management built by overseas Chinese-funded enterprises. With respect to the theoretical study of China's labor relations, according to Liu Xiangbing et al., the theory of China's labor relations is rooted in the historical experience, pathway practice and the national and social situation, and the labor relations theory system with Chinese characteristics has taken shape, i.e. labor relations originate from economic relations and involve political relations, and both parties of labor relations have consistent fundamental interests. Therefore, the contradiction of labor relations is actually the contradiction of specific differences of interests on the basis of consistent fundamental interests, which forms the theoretical basis for the state-led governance system of labor relations. With respect to the coordination mechanism of labor relations in China, Wen Xiaoyi held that driven by multiple factors such as the change in the supply-demand relationship in labor market, the higher bargaining position of workers and the adjusted roles of local governments and employers, the collective bargaining in China has shifted from a state-led pattern to more diversified approaches, heralding the era of diversification. Jiang Ying et al. held that China's labor dispute arbitration system is the result of history with the empirical assistance of international comparative study. It is the quasi-judicial mechanism of mandatory dispute resolution that strengthens the effect of dropping suits of non-litigation dispute resolution mechanism and its connectivity with litigation proceedings.

The governance of labor relations in China has gone through an exploration process from the reform and opening-up period to the new era, which has accumulated rich experience in improving the governance mechanism by the government and protecting the laborers' rights and interests by trade unions, and made significant contribution to the consummation of the market-oriented economy system and the coordinated economic development. As the unique institution of higher education directly affiliated with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the China University of Labor Relations has formed a cluster of labor relations disciplines with distinctive features of "trade union plus" and "labor plus", and conducted an in-depth study of the outstanding issues concerning labor relations. "Telling the stories of China, China's labor relations and China's trade unions well" is an important responsibility of the scientific research of our university. We hope that this book can help update the research literature relating to China's labor relations in the international community, assist our international peers in understanding the operation and structure of China's contemporary social governance, and promote exchanges and cooperation between scholars at home and abroad.

(International Office of Cooperation and Exchange)