Abstract: As both a production and social matter, particularly a class matter, the topic of labor was important worldwide and became the focus of social science research and thinking which has given rise to a lot of classical theories. In this era of capital globalization, while the labor movement seems like a fading trend in all the major capitalist countries, Chinese workers pose unique stances: not only because of their huge numbers, but also because of their miserable living conditions, as well as the compelling forms of their struggles. The background of all these issues is the collusion between capital and power, which has been called “Chinese characteristics”. Facing labor issues in the new era, especially dealing with the “new generation of migrant workers”, the classical theories have encountered many challenges from “Chinese characteristics”. This paper aims to explore the relationship between the workingclass formation and the emergence of civil society, within the context of the specific institutional allocation and the transformation process in China. Drawing upon structuration theory, it pays special attention to structural forces such as political power, capital and labor, and their interactions. This study suggests that for Chinese workers, the basic citizenship rights are embodied in the implementation of working rights and also of the rights to organize. Therefore, the citizenship rights are the premise of the working-class formation in China, and the way out for working class lies in the fact that they become independent social forces. As a conclusion, the formation of the new working-class and the development of the civil society in China must be a simultaneous process. In other words, the labor movement itself is an important part of civil society building. And the process for Chinese workers to access full citizenship rights, namely the acquisition and protection of working rights—the basic citizenship rights, are fundamental for the solution of the conflicts between labor and capital, and also for the justice during the transformation.

Key words: workingclass formation, civil society, world factory, Chinese characteristics