Published by ChinaMNC · Haifeng

China’s ‘Party Member Cavalry’ in Lufeng: A Local Governance Model with Lessons for Foreign Founders

A government report from Lufeng, Shanwei, describes how the city organized delivery riders and other gig workers into a ‘Party Member Cavalry’ to support grassroots governance. For foreign founders, this signals the importance of aligning with local party-building initiatives and understanding how platform workers are integrated into community oversight.

What Lufeng’s ‘Party Member Cavalry’ Actually Does

According to a report published on the Shanwei municipal government website, Lufeng City has organized workers in new employment forms—couriers, food delivery riders, ride-hailing drivers, truck drivers, and live-streamers—into a “Party Member Cavalry” (党员轻骑兵). The initiative is part of a broader “Party Members Are By Your Side” activity. The goal is to turn these workers from “governance targets” into “governance forces,” extending party organization and work to the street level.

The report notes that Lufeng faced challenges: high mobility among gig workers, weak organizational coverage, and difficulty in mobilizing them. The solution involved party-building as a coordinating mechanism.

How the Cavalry Was Built: Outreach and Organization

Lufeng’s town and street party committees, together with industry regulators, platform companies, and delivery stations, conducted a “dragnet” survey of couriers, delivery riders, ride-hailing drivers, truck drivers, and live-streamers. They verified information company by company, station by station, and person by person, and established a ledger of party member information.

Following the principle of “similar industries, neighboring locations, and ease of management,” party organizations were established in all five platform companies covered. Five “Party Member Cavalry” service teams were formed, with 30 members drawn from couriers and delivery riders. In Jieshi Town, riders with strong political quality and good public reputation were selected under the principle of “party members leading, public recognition, and selecting the best.” Party member backbone members served as team leaders responsible for daily scheduling and task allocation. Team members were issued unified “Party Member Rider” identity markers, with team flags on their vehicles, “Party Members Are By Your Side” stickers on delivery boxes, and party badges worn during work. The aim was to make “mobile party members” into “walking benchmarks.”

Flexible Education and a Three-Tier Response Mechanism

Given the fragmented work hours and unsettled workplaces of gig workers, Lufeng used “Knight Gas Stations” and other venues to offer flexible “15 minutes before shift” sessions and “station micro-party lectures.” Online study groups were created to push learning materials regularly. The report says this ensures that “wherever the wheels turn, organizational life follows.”

A three-tier linkage mechanism was set up: “branch coordination, team leader dispatch, member response.” Volunteer services were deeply integrated with delivery routes. The report describes this as “building the branch on the wheels, delivering services to the heart.”

Lufeng also identified and trained promising team members for management roles. One example is Wang Huibin, a party member courier with YTO Express. After being included in the new employment group management, he was appointed supervisor of the YTO Express Lufeng station earlier this year. He leads a team of nearly 70 people, regularly checks safety hazards, handles business disputes, listens to couriers’ work demands, and works to unite the team. The report calls him a “vivid example” of growth and achievement among new employment groups.

Service Stations and Practical Support

To give the team a sense of belonging, Lufeng integrated resources from community party service centers and platform operation centers to create “Knight Gas Stations” and “Warm New Stations.” These sites combine rest and replenishment, organizational life, and task claiming. They provide riders and drivers with drinking water, hot meals, phone charging, and emergency medicine. The report describes these sites as “red homes” that people can remember, find, and rely on.

Routine activities include “sending coolness in summer, warmth in winter,” and holiday greetings. The city helps new employment groups resolve practical difficulties related to labor rights protection, children’s school enrollment, and medical care, and keeps channels for expressing demands open. Team members are also encouraged to lead in implementing safety production requirements, regularly checking and rectifying hazards in warehousing, sorting, transportation, and delivery, so that hazards are found and fixed early.

Integrating Riders into Grassroots Governance

Because gig workers travel through streets and visit households daily, they know the city’s corners well. Lufeng leverages this advantage by giving the “Party Member Cavalry” a platform and functions, guiding them to participate in grassroots governance while on the job.

Riders carry “volunteer equipment” in their delivery boxes: civilization leaflets, drowning-prevention mini-speakers, and hazard registration cards. During delivery breaks, they publicize party policies and spread knowledge about drug control, anti-fraud, forest fire prevention, and drowning prevention. The report says this brings the party’s voice and policy warmth to thousands of households.

The city established a WeChat group for community “part-time grid members.” Riders are encouraged to spot road hazards, damaged municipal facilities, and uncivil behavior during daily deliveries, photograph and upload them immediately, so that hazards are discovered early and public sentiment is transmitted promptly. In Jieshi Town, more than 30 party member riders have reported over 120 valid clues, making them “mobile sentinels” in grassroots governance.

Riders also serve as “pioneer riders” for volunteer services. They regularly carry out emergency rescue, elderly assistance, and traffic guidance. In April this year, Wu Siwei, a food delivery rider in Jieshi Town, rescued a middle school student who had been hit by an electric bike in the middle of traffic. The parents later tracked him down to thank him. During summer typhoons and rainstorms, another rider, Chen Jibao, heard a call for help while delivering food. He found a middle-aged woman and her vehicle swept over by rushing water. He stopped his delivery bike and rushed into knee-deep water, stumbling several times but steadying himself, and with help from bystanders moved the woman to safety. After confirming she was conscious, he left silently, soaked through. When facing late and damaged orders, he said: “Orders can be redone, but life is only once.” His act was widely praised and is cited as the best footnote to the “Party Member Cavalry” spirit.

Results and Recognition

The report states that party organization coverage in platform companies has reached 100%. The “Party Member Cavalry” has become “mobile sentinels,” enabling early discovery and small-scale handling of risks, and collecting public sentiment on the front line. A points system provides material incentives for riders who actively participate in governance, extending governance to the street level. The report says residents feel that “the organization is by their side, party members are in front of them, and services are at hand.”

Several team members have received recognition. Wang Huibin spoke as a representative at the Shanwei City Disaster Prevention and Relief Advanced Deeds Symposium and was commended. Wen Jiewei, a food delivery rider in Jieshi Town, was elected as a town people’s congress representative. Lu Zezheng, head of a Taobao Shangou station in Donghai Street, was recommended as a candidate for the political consultative conference. The report notes that more outstanding young people in new employment groups are actively applying to join the party, and the team’s appeal and cohesion are growing.

Next, Lufeng plans to expand the cavalry to ride-hailing drivers, truck drivers, and live-streamers; improve points management, recognition and incentives, and care guarantees; and deepen integration with grid governance, civilized city creation, and emergency response.

What This Means for Foreign Founders

For foreign founders registering or operating a company in China, this report illustrates how local governments integrate platform workers into governance and party-building. If your business relies on gig workers—such as delivery, ride-hailing, or live-streaming—you may encounter local initiatives that encourage party member workers to serve as “sentinels” or volunteers. Understanding these expectations can help you align your operations with local policies and build good relations with authorities.

The report also shows that platform companies are expected to support party-building among workers. While the article does not specify penalties, foreign founders should be aware that local governments may encourage or require cooperation with such initiatives. Building a cooperative relationship with local party committees and industry regulators can smooth operations.

Additionally, the recognition given to outstanding riders—such as promotions and political positions—suggests that supporting workers’ participation in these programs can enhance your company’s social responsibility profile and employee morale.

Call to action: Foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp / WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535 for help registering and operating a company in China.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.