Overseas Chinese Affairs Office

Last updated
Overseas Chinese Affairs Office
国务院侨务办公室
Agency overview
Preceding agency
  • Committee of Overseas Chinese Affairs
Status External name of the United Front Work Department
Headquarters35 Fuchengmenwai Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
Agency executives
Parent department United Front Work Department
Child agency
  • Chinese Overseas Exchange Association
Website www.gqb.gov.cn OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council
Simplified Chinese 国 务 院 侨 务 办 公 室
Traditional Chinese 國 務 院 僑 務 辦 公 室

The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council (OCAO) is an external name of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Prior to 2018, OCAO was an administrative office under the State Council of the People's Republic of China responsible for liaising with and influencing overseas Chinese as part of its united front efforts. [1] [2] Due to the 2018 party and government reform in China, OCAO was merged into the UFWD, with its functions being taken up by the department. Under the arrangement "one institution with two names", UFWD reserves the name "Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council", generally used when dealing in public statements and dealing with the outside world. [3]

Contents

History

OCAO's forerunner, the Committee of Overseas Chinese Affairs, was established in 1949; He Xiangning, the wife of Liao Zhongkai, served as its first head from October 1949 to April 1959, after which her son Liao Chengzhi took over the position of head until the abolishment of the office in June 1970. Upon the establishment of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office in 1978, Liao Chengzhi also became its first head. Liao Chengzhi's son Liao Hui also joined the office as vice-director in 1983, and was promoted to director in May 1984. [4]

In 1990, OCAO and China News Service personnel were dispatched to the U.S. to found SinoVision and The China Press to counter negative perceptions of the Chinese government following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. [5]

OCAO has focused on technology transfer through agreements with professional associations in science and technology fields such as the Silicon Valley Chinese Overseas Business Association (SCOBA). [6] [7] OCAO also oversees the Chinese Overseas Exchange Association (COEA), which sponsored annual "Discovery Trips to China for Eminent Young Overseas Chinese". [6] [8]

In October 2016, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection reported deficiencies in the CCP's control over OCAO. [9] [10] In March 2018, it was announced that the OCAO and its functions, such as China News Service, would be merged into various internal bureaus of the United Front Work Department as well as the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, with the OCAO remaining as an external name of the UFWD. [9] In a 2022 ruling, a Canadian court stated that OCAO "engages in covert and surreptitious intelligence gathering”. [11] [12] Canada has subsequently deported and barred OCAO agents from entry. [13]

Function

OCAO is tasked with conducting overseas Chinese (OC) affairs work or qiaowu. According to academic James To: [2]

Qiaowu is ostensibly a comprehensive effort that seeks to maintain, protect, and enhance the rights and interests of the OC. Tasks include propagating OC policies, promoting OC affairs, researching their needs, and resolving their problems. In practice, however, qiaowu works to legitimise and protect the CCP's hold on power, uphold China's international image, and retain influence over important channels of access to social, economic and political resources both domestically and abroad. To achieve this, qiaowu is conducted in view of two aims: to attract the OC back into the fold of the Chinese nation-state, and to convey and project to them the nation-state agenda. Implicit in these objectives is the elimination of potential threats and rival discourses that may challenge the CCP.

— James To, Beijing's Policies for Managing Han and Ethnic-Minority Chinese Communities Abroad

Administration

As of June 2022, Chen Xu is the current director of OCAO, a position previously held by Pan Yue. [14] [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Council Information Office</span> External name of the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party

The State Council Information Office is the chief information office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China and an external name of the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Military Commission (China)</span> Peoples Republic of China political bodies governing the military

The Central Military Commission (CMC) is the highest national defense organization in the People's Republic of China, which heads the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the People's Armed Police (PAP), and the Militia of China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China News Service</span> News agency of the Chinese Communist Party

China News Service is the second largest state news agency in China, after Xinhua News Agency. China News Service was formerly run by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, which was absorbed into the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2018. Its operations have traditionally been directed at overseas Chinese worldwide and residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Front Work Department</span> Functional department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party

The United Front Work Department (UFWD) is a department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) tasked with "united front work." It gathers intelligence on, manages relations with, and attempts to gain influence over elite individuals and organizations inside and outside mainland China, including in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and in other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China</span> Chinese government department

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China is the first-ranked executive department of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, responsible for the country's foreign relations. It is led by the minister of foreign affairs, currently Wang Yi, who serves as the nation's principal representative abroad. The ministry is headquartered in Chaoyang District, Beijing, the country's primary diplomatic quarter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liao Chengzhi</span> Chinese politician (1908–1983)

Liao Chengzhi was a Chinese politician. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1928, and rose to the position of director of the Xinhua News Agency; after 1949, he worked in various positions related to foreign affairs, most prominently president of the Beijing Foreign Languages Institute, president of the Sino-Japanese Friendship Society, and Minister of the Office of Overseas Chinese Affairs.

The Y. C. Tang Disciplinary Development Fund is an educational foundation of Zhejiang University (ZJU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong and Macau Work Office</span> Administrative agency of the Chinese Communist Party

The Hong Kong and Macau Work Office (HMO), also known as the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council, is an administrative agency of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party responsible for promoting cooperation and coordination of political, economic, and cultural ties between mainland China and the Chinese Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. It was formed in 2023 on the basis of then State Council's HKMAO. Its head office is in Xicheng District, Beijing.

The constituent departments of the State Council are the principal units of State Council of the People's Republic of China. Types of departments include ministries, commissions, the People's Bank of China and the National Audit Office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fu Zhenghua</span> Chinese politician

Fu Zhenghua is a former Chinese politician and public security officer. In March 2013, Fu was appointed as the Deputy Minister of Public Security (minister-level) and Deputy Communist Party Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security. Since 2015, Fu has served concurrently as the head of the 610 Office. He was also appointed as the Minister of Justice in 2018. Fu was known to be a close ally of Sun Lijun, he has come under investigation in October 2021 and was expelled from the Chinese Communist Party and removed from public office in March 2022. He was subsequently arrested, tried, and given a suspended death sentence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Li Keqiang Government</span> Chinese government headed by Premier Li Keqiang

The Li Keqiang Government was the Central People's Government of China from 15 March 2013, when Premier Li Keqiang took office, until March 2023. It succeeded the Wen Jiabao government. Premier Li is ranked only second to Party general secretary Xi Jinping among 7 members of the 18th and 19th Politburo Standing Committee, top decision-making body of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">President of the People's Republic of China</span> State representative of China

The president of the People's Republic of China, commonly called the president of China, is the state representative of the People's Republic of China, which on its own is a ceremonial office and has no real power in China's political system. However, since 1993, the post has been held by the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission, who is China's de facto leader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Office for International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission</span>

The Office for International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission is the chief organ under the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China for coordinating the People's Liberation Army's relationships with foreign militaries. It grew out of the PLA's Foreign Affairs Office, founded in 1951. It was founded on January 11, 2016, under Xi Jinping's military reforms. Its first director was Rear Admiral Guan Youfei.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Targeted Poverty Alleviation</span> Anti-poverty campaign in China

The concept of Targeted Poverty Alleviation was first raised by Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), to combat poverty in China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration</span> Chinas agency for public complaints

The National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration is a deputy-cabinet level agency directly under the State Council of China. It is the national ombudsman office of the People's Republic of China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Office of the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party</span>

The Office of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party often referred to as the General Secretary's Office (总书记办公室) is a bureau whose staff is assigned to work directly under, and closely with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s General Secretary. The Office manages personal affairs of the General Secretary and is a part of the Central Committee, but reports directly to the General Secretary. The director of the Office of the General Secretary and the staff under him are considered to be Mishus, or trusted confidants responsible for maintaining the private information and correspondence of the party's leader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chen Xu (politician)</span> Chinese Communist Party politician (born 1963)

Chen Xu is a Chinese politician and the current deputy head of the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department and director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, in office since 2022. Previously she served as the CCP committee secretary of Tsinghua University. She was an alternate member the 19th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and is a member of the 20th Central Committee.

Guo Dongpo is a Chinese politician who served as president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade from 1995 to 1997 and director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office from 1997 to 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One institution with two names</span> Nomenclature arrangement for Chinese government bodies

"One institution with two names" is a bureaucratic arrangement in the Chinese government wherein a government agency exists in name only, and its functions are in practice performed by another agency or a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) organization, so that in effect one institution has two or more governmental brands or trade names to use selectively for political, historical, or bureaucratic reasons. This type of arrangement was historically common until the mid–1980s, but has been extensively revived by reforms which began in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wang Xiaoping</span> Chinese politician

Wang Xiaoping is a Chinese politician who is the current Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, in office since 30 December 2022.

References

  1. ↑ To, James Jiann Hua (2014-05-15). Qiaowu: Extra-Territorial Policies for the Overseas Chinese. BRILL. pp. 48, 75–76. ISBN   978-90-04-27228-6. Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
  2. 1 2 To, James (December 1, 2012). "Beijing's Policies for Managing Han and Ethnic-Minority Chinese Communities Abroad". Journal of Current Chinese Affairs . 41 (4): 183–221. doi: 10.1177/186810261204100407 . ISSN   1868-1026.
  3. ↑ "中共中央印发《深化党和国家机构改革方案》_中央有关文件_中国政府网". Government of China . Archived from the original on 2019-02-15. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  4. ↑ Bo, Zhiyue (2007). China's Elite Politics: Political Transition and Power Balancing. World Scientific Publishing. pp. 165–166. ISBN   978-981-270-041-4. OCLC   608890457. Archived from the original on 2023-08-26. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  5. ↑ Diamond, Larry; Schell, Orville (2019-08-01). China's Influence and American Interests: Promoting Constructive Vigilance. Hoover Press. pp. 106, 107, 120. ISBN   978-0-8179-2286-3. OCLC   1104533323. Archived from the original on 2020-05-28. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Hannas, William C.; Mulvenon, James; Puglisi, Anna B. (2013-06-14). Chinese Industrial Espionage: Technology Acquisition and Military Modernisation. Routledge. pp. 80–100. ISBN   978-1-135-95261-7.
  7. ↑ Fedasiuk, Ryan; Weinstein, Emily (July 21, 2020). "Overseas Professionals and Technology Transfer to China" (PDF). Center for Security and Emerging Technology. doi: 10.51593/20190038 . Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  8. ↑ Worthington, Brett (10 September 2019). "Gladys Liu admits to membership of Guangdong Overseas Exchange Association". ABC News . Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  9. 1 2 Joske, Alex (May 9, 2019). "Reorganizing the United Front Work Department: New Structures for a New Era of Diaspora and Religious Affairs Work". Jamestown Foundation . Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-27.
  10. ↑ "中央第八巡视组向国务院侨务办公室党组反馈专项巡视情况". Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (in Chinese). 14 October 2016. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  11. ↑ Bell, Stewart; Cooper, Sam (January 26, 2022). "Canadian government report accuses China of widespread campaign of espionage, manipulation". Global News . Archived from the original on 2022-08-02. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  12. ↑ Young, Ian (24 February 2022). "Overseas Chinese Affairs Office harms Canada with espionage, court rules". South China Morning Post . Archived from the original on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  13. ↑ Bell, Stewart (January 29, 2024). "Woman ordered deported over Chinese foreign interference". Global News . Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  14. ↑ "陈旭任国务院侨务办公室主任". gqb.gov.cn. June 24, 2022. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Environmental czar to lead Overseas Chinese Affairs Office as director". Apple Daily . October 22, 2020. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.