China has intensified efforts to protect the rights and interests of couriers, ride-hailing drivers and other gig workers, while encouraging them to participate in social governance as part of broader efforts to advance socialist democracy, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Official estimates show that China has about 200 million people in flexible employment, including 84 million engaged in new forms of employment, such as food delivery workers, couriers and ride-hailing drivers. The latter group accounts for 21 percent of the total workforce.

"The size of these groups has been expanding rapidly in recent years, and they serve as vital links that sustain urban operations and meet the needs of the public," said Zhao Shitang, vice-minister of the Society Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office.

To safeguard their rights and interests, the country has guided and urged platform-based enterprises to implement standardized employment procedures in accordance with the law and protect new workers' rights to fair pay, time off, safe working conditions and social security, Zhao said.

"In response to prominent issues that undermine their interests, for example, we have worked with other departments to carry out comprehensive governance of platform algorithms. We started with eight key platform-based enterprises last year and expanded the scope to a total of 25 companies this year," he said.

As a result, problems such as unreasonable order assignment and opaque pricing rules have been effectively addressed, Zhao said.

"Recently, some localities have introduced measures such as pausing the timing system when delivery riders are waiting at red lights, allowing them to work more calmly and safely," he added.

Local authorities have also built facilities in communities and business districts to meet the working and personal needs of gig workers, including parking spaces, battery-charging facilities, meals and rest areas, Zhao said.

"Some regions have set up designated service areas for truck drivers at highway rest stops or gas stations. Others have introduced rider apartments or provided skills training, giving new employment groups a sense of security in their living arrangements and a promising path for personal development," he said.

Meanwhile, gig workers can play a role in social governance by collecting public opinions, identifying risks and hidden dangers, and assisting with emergency rescue efforts, thanks to their familiarity with grassroots communities, Zhao said.

He cited a recent case in which a delivery rider jumped into the water alongside an auxiliary police officer to rescue four people trapped inside a car that had stalled in floodwaters in Huzhou, Zhejiang province. The rescue was captured in a short video that attracted widespread attention online.