The State Ethnic Affairs Commission is a commission under the State Council in charge of the work of all ethnic minorities of China. As one of the ministries at the central government administration level, it was initially set up after the foundation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Mr. Li Weihan was appointed its first minister. During the nationwide chaos of the Cultural Revolution that broke out in 1966, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission was actually dismissed. After the chaos was over in 1976 and especially after the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Part of China convened in November 1978, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission resumed its function in 1979. The commission put up a proposal concerning its role, which got approved from the central government in October 1988. Known as the “Three-Decision Program,” it referred to the commission's responsibility, structure and personnel formation. The function of the commission was lately redefined by the State Council in June 1998, which by and large remains the same as the 1988 program except that the Policy Research Office was dissolved with its function respectively incorporated into the Policy and Law Department and General Office. According to the State Council’s guideline on streamlining and restructuring the administrative setup, the number of the staff was reduced from 280 to 150.
According to the new rule, the major functions of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission are as follow:
1. Carry out the general and specific policies on ethnic minorities put up by the Party Central Committee and the State Council and work as a good consultant or assistant for the Party Central Committee and the State Council.
2. Study and put forward general and specific policies and development strategies for the regional autonomy of minorities. Draw up national laws and decrees about the minority affairs management, and perfect the legal system for ethnic minorities.
3. Organize the study of the ethnic theory, policy and issues.
4. Supervise the enforcement and improve the ethnic regional autonomy . See to it that the rights and interests for ethnic minorities are honored. Organize and direct the celebration activities on the occasion of major founding anniversary of regional autonomy of an ethnic group.
5. Study and draw up regulations and methods to coordinate relationship between ethnic groups. Promote the ethnic equality, unity, cooperation and aid to each other among different minorities. Coordinate and provide guidelines on important issues concerning relationship between ethnic groups to sustain social stability and national unity. Organize and undertake activities to commend unity and progress for ethnic minority groups.
6. Organize the investigation on the country’s situation of human rights, of women and children, and scattered ethnic groups. Cooperate with departments concerned to draw up China’s convention on ethnic minorities human rights submitted to the United Nations.
7. Analyze the economic development in ethnic minorities areas. Help draw up the program of reforming and opening as well as the economics development in these areas. Research and propose the special policy and method for the ethnic minority development. Organize investigation and research on issues concerning the economic development in the pastoral, border and poor areas. Organize and coordinate the development of science and technology, balancing the economic and technological advance, and promoting national trade and production specially for ethnic minority groups.
8. In light of the central government’s general and specific policies, make study of the special issues about the ethnic groups’ culture, art, health, sports, news media and publications as well as to offer suggestions and opinions. Take care of the other affairs concerned.
9. Take care of the issue of the ethnic minorities’ spoken and written language. Give the guidance to the translation and publication of ethnic minorities’ oral and written languages as well as the collection, organization and publication of the ancient books for the ethnic minorities.
10. Research the issue of education reform and development for the ethnic minorities under the overall plan of the education department of the central government. Put forward the opinions and suggestions and help solve the special difficulties in minority education. Offer the education assistance and support for the areas inhabited by the minorities through the coordination with the education administration departments.
11. Supply professional consultants for the work on the ethnic minorities run by the central government system. Strengthen the connections with the regional autonomy of minorities. Organize and receive people of ethnic minorities who come for studying, visiting or making an investigation.
12. Keep in contact with the cadres of ethnic minorities. Assist in concerned departments by offering training and education, and making proper use of the cadres. Be responsible for personnel management, establishing organization and the Party/mass relationship under the leadership of the Commission’s office and department directly under the Commission.
13. Organize and coordinate the external communication and corporation, to assist the development of the ethnic minorities’ external communication as well as to handle the procedure for the people from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan who come to visit their relatives, travel or settle down for residence.
14. To undertake all the other matters assigned by the State Council.
According to the above duty and obligations, the Commission is subordinated by 8 functional departments (general offices), namely, 1. General Office (including the sections of Secretariats 1 and 2, Files, Information, Finance, Reception and News); 2.Department of Policy and Law (including the sections of Comprehensive, Minority Policy, Scattered ethnic groups Areas , Law and Regulation); 3. Department of Economic Development (including the sections of Comprehensive, Plan and Statistics, Finance and Economics, Poverty Assistance, Ethnic Trade and Border Area Prosperity); 4. Department of Culture and Publicity (including the sections of Publicity, Literature and Art, Sports and Health, Spoken and Written Languages of Ethnic Minorities, Research on Ancient Books of Ethnic Minorities); 5. Department of Education (including Primary Education, High Education, Vocational and Adult Education); 6. Department of International Liaison (including the sections of Comprehensive, External Connections, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese); 7. Department of Plan and Finance (including the sections of Financial Management, Building Management), and 8. Department of Human Resources/Party Committee (including the sections of Appointments and Removals, Professional Titles, Minority Cadres and Party/Mass Relationship).