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Mass organizations are an important component of the political life in China. The mass organizations listed in this section mostly are quasi-official in nature. The Procedures on the Registration of Social Organizations stipulate that to set up a social organization, the organizer must produce document of approval from the department overseeing its business operations. Such a department refers to organs or agencies of the people's governments at and above the county level or those that have been delegated with the right of giving approval. In reality, the social organizations are placed under the administration of such departments.

In China, there are some 2,000 national social organizations, including nearly 200 which receive appropriations from the state treasury and are listed in the national administrative setup. Among these 200, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the Communist Youth League of China and the All-China Women's Federation enjoy special political status and extensive social influence. Besides, 16 other social organizations, though less influential than these three, are also rather special. They are: China Federation of the Literary and Art Circles; China Association for Science and Technology, All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, China Writers Association, China Law Association, Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, China Federation of the Disabled, Soong Ching Ling Foundation, All-China Journalists Association, China Association for Taiwan Compatriots, Whompoa Military Academy Alumni Association, Chinese People's Foreign Affairs Society, China Red Cross, Chinese Workers Ideological and Political Work Research Society, and Western Returned Scholars Association.

The major tasks, organizational setup and leading posts of these organizations are directly under the jurisdiction of the central departments in charge of organizational setups. Though non-governmental organizations, they, to a large extent, exercise administrative functions and powers.

All-China Federation of Trade Unions
It was established on May 1, 1925. Its major functions are to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of workers and their democratic rights; mobilize and organize workers to take part in the management of the state and social affairs; take part in the democratic management of enterprises, institutions and government organs; educate workers to raise their ideological qualifications and science and cultural attainment; and help build up contingents of workers with lofty ideals, high morals, cultural attainment and discipline. It consists of a general affairs office, policy research office, organizational department, publicity, education, culture and sports department, economic work department, social security work department, finance department, grassroots work department, legal work department, women workers department, and international liaison department.

 

The Communist Youth League of China
Originally known as the Socialist Youth League of China and New Democratic Youth League of China, it was first established in May 1922. Its present basic tasks are to adhere to the implementation of the CPC's basic lines and policies of the primary stage of socialism, unite and lead young people to focus on economic construction, persist in the Four Cardinal Principles, persist in reform, opening up, self-reliance and hard struggle, strive to promote productivity and social progress and bringing up, in the practice of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, successors with lofty ideals, morals, cultural attainment and discipline, and strive to train new blood for the CPC and young talents in the building of the country.

 

All-China Women's Federation
Established in March 1949, it is an organization of women who are a major force in building socialism with Chinese characteristics. It works hard to unite and educate women, implement the basic lines of the CPC and play an active role in the building of socialist material and spiritual civilizations. The basic functions of the federation are to represent and safeguard the rights and interests of women and promote the equality between men and women.

The highest organ of power of the All-China Women's Federation is its All-China Conference of Women Representatives which is held once every five years. The conference elects the council of the All-China Women's Federation. When the conference is not in session, the council implements the decisions of the conference, discusses and decides major issues in women's work. The council convenes annually.

The council elects a chairwoman, vice chairwomen and standing committee members who together form the Standing Committee of the council. The Standing Committee is the leading organ when the council is not in session. The Standing Committee sets up a secretariat consisting of the first secretary and several secretaries, all elected by the Standing Committee members, to be in charge of the daily routine work.

The highest organ of power of local women's federations at various levels is the local women's conferences, which are held once every five years. Local women's conferences elect their councils which consist of a chairwoman, vice chairwomen and standing committee members, to form standing committees to take charge of the daily routine work. At the township and neighborhood committee level, the council is led by a director instead of a standing committee.

Other Major Social Organizations
China Federation of the Literary and Art Circles

Established in March 1949, it exercises such functions as contacting, coordinating and serving its members. Through conducting exchange activities and research among its member associations, it reflects the situation in the creative fields and their demands. It also takes care of matters among its member associations that require unified arrangement.

The federation is served with a general affairs office, the domestic liaison department, the international liaison department, the personnel department, and the theory and research department.

China Association for Science and Technology

Established in 1958, it serves the purpose of promoting the development of science and technology and popularizing the knowledge of science.

It consists of a general affairs office, planning and finance department, organization and personnel department, scholarly societies department, science popularization department, international department, and publicity department.

All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese

Established on October 12, 1956, and while maintaining the overall rights and interests of the entire population, it safeguards the lawful rights and interests of returned overseas Chinese, their relatives and Chinese living abroad, and shows concern and care for the just rights and interests of Chinese living overseas.

The federation operates with a general affairs office, organization and personnel department, legal work department, cultural liaison department, and economic liaison department.

China Writers Association

Established on July 23, 1949, it persists in making literature and art serve the people and socialism, implements the policies of ˇ°letting hundred flowers blossom and hundred schools of thought contendˇ±, fully respects the law of literary and artistic creations, displays democracy in literature and art, guarantees the freedom of creation, unites and organizes writers of all ethnic groups to work creatively, develops socialist literature with Chinese characteristics and works hard for building socialist spiritual civilization and modernization.

It consists of a general affairs office, creation liaison department, external liaison department and personnel department.

China Law Association

Established in June 1949, it observes the following purposes: 1. To unite legal workers of various ethnic groups to focus their work on economic construction, persist in reform and opening up, the principle of combining theory with practice, promote the study of the theory of the socialist legal system, and contribute to the building of socialist democracy and a legal system and promotion of socialist modernization; 2. To organize and promote Chinese legal workers to conduct academic exchanges and friendly contacts with legal workers of other countries and regions in the world, develop the study of law in different parts of the world and safeguard world peace and promote common progress of the mankind.

The association operates a general affairs office, research department, external liaison department, and personnel and membership department.

Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

Established on May 3, 1953, it takes the promotion of understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and peoples in different countries in the world, enhancing mutual economic, social, cultural, scientific and educational exchanges and cooperation and maintaining world peace as its purposes.

It consists of a general affairs office, Asia and Africa department, Japan department, Eurasia department, Asia-Pacific department, and cultural exchange department.

China Council for the Promotion of International Trade

Established in 1952, it works for the purposes of promoting foreign trade, utilizing foreign investment, introducing advanced technology and engaging in varied types of economic and technological cooperation with people outside China, promoting trade, economic and technological cooperation between China and other countries, so as to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and people in other countries and particularly between Chinese and foreign economic and trade circles.

It consists of a general affairs office, membership affairs department, personnel department, liaison department, economic information department, exhibition department and finance department.

China Disabled Persons' Federation

Established in November 1983 by the disabled and those working for the disabled, the organization carries the three-fold functions of representation, service and management: representing the common interests of the disabled and safeguarding their lawful rights and interests; uniting and educating the disabled and providing them with services; and managing and developing understanding of the disabled as entrusted by the government.

The federation consists of a general affairs office, development department, organization liaison department, health restoration department, education and employment department, publicity, culture and sports department, international affairs department, planning and finance department and personnel department.

Soong Ching Ling Foundation

Established on May 29, 1982, it serves the purposes of carrying on the undertakings in culture, education, science and welfare for the young people, promoting the healthy and sound progress of children, enhancing international friendship, maintaining world peace and unifying China which Soong Ching Ling, wife of Dr. Sun Yat-sen who led the Revolution of 1911 that overthrew the Qing Dynasty, had worked hard for during her lifetime.

The foundation operates a general affairs office, the foundation department, external liaison department, children department and management division for the former residence of Soong Ching Ling.

All-China Journalists Association

Established in 1931, it serves the following purposes: to unite journalists of all ethnic groups in the country, serve socialism and the people, strengthen the building of journalistic staff, safeguard the lawful rights and interests of journalists, promote press reform, enrich and develop socialist journalistic undertakings, conduct international exchanges, promote social progress, maintain world peace and strive for socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The association consists of a general affairs office, international liaison department, and domestic work department.

China Association for Taiwan Compatriots

Established on December 22, 1981, the association conducts its activities in accordance with the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and observes the following purposes: to hold high the banner of patriotism, unite Taiwanese compatriots living on the mainland, unite Taiwan compatriots living in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and other parts of the world, increase compatriot friendship, and together promote the unity of the Chinese nation, strive for the realization of uniting Taiwan with the motherland in accordance with the principle of ˇ°one country, two systemsˇ± for the aim of rejuvenating China and building a strong, democratic and culturally developed modern socialist country.

It consists of a general affairs office, Taiwan compatriot affairs department, liaison department, culture and publicity department and research office.

Whompoa Military Academy Alumni Association

Established on June 16, 1984, the organization observes the following purposes: carrying on the spirit of the Whompoa Military Academy, uniting former students, promoting the unification of the motherland and dedicating to the rejuvenation of China.

The association has a general affairs office, liaison department and publicity department.

Chinese People's Foreign Affairs Society

Established on December 15, 1949, it follows the following purposes: studying international issues and foreign affairs policies, conducting international exchange, and developing people's diplomacy.

The society has a general affairs office, research department, editorial department, Asia-Africa-Latin America department, European department, America and Oceania department, international department, administrative management department and the secretariat division.

China Red Cross

Established in 1907, it takes as its purposes the protection of people's health and life, displaying humanitarianism and promoting peace and progress.

The organization has a general affairs office, 1st domestic work department, 2nd domestic work department, and liaison department.

Chinese Workers Ideological and Political Work Research Society

Established in January 1983, it follows the guiding principles of persisting in Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaping's theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, observing the basic line of the CPC for the primary stage of socialism, maintaining close contact with reform, opening up and socialist modernization drive, conducting research in ideological and political work, serving the uplifting of the quality of workers and the development of socialist productivity.

The society has a general affairs office, research department, liaison department and training department.

Western Returned Scholars Association

Established in October 1913, it serves the purposes of carrying on patriotic traditions, uniting students who have returned from their studies in Europe and America, maintaining contact with overseas students, their relatives, strengthening friendship, exchanging experience and jointly working for the rejuvenation of China and the unification of the motherland.

The organization consists of an administrative affairs management department, personnel and secretarial department, membership work department, liaison department, social service department and publicity department.

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