The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council is an administrative agency under the State Council of the People's Republic of China. It is responsible for setting and implementing guidelines and policies related to Taiwan, as stipulated by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council itself.

Main Functions

1. To study and draft guidelines and policies related to Taiwan affairs; to implement and carry outguidelines and policies related to Taiwan stipulated bythe CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

2. To organize, guide, administrate and coordinate the work related to Taiwan affairs of departments under the State Council and of the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government; To check and investigate the implemention of the guidelines and policies of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council by central and local departments.

3. To analyse the situations in Taiwan and tendency of development of the cross-Strait relations; to coordinate with the department concerned to draft the laws and regulations involving Taiwan; to coordinate with overall planning the legal affairs related to Taiwan.

4. According to the arrangement and authorization of the State Council, the Office takes charge of relevant preparations for negotiations and agreements with Taiwan authorities and its authorized public organizations.

5. To administrate and coordinate direct links in mail, transport and trade across the Taiwan Straits; to take charge of the media and publicity work related to Taiwan and release news and information concerning Taiwan affairs; to handle major incidents related to Taiwan.

6. To coordinate and guide with overall planning the economic and trade related to Taiwan and exchanges and cooperation in such areas as finance, culture, academic research, sports, science and technology, health, etc with the departments concerned; To manage personnel exchange, observations and symposiums between the two sides and relevant work on international conference involving Taiwan.

7. To accomplish other tasks that the State Council assigns.

Office's Structure

According to the different working functions and responsibilities, Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Councilis composed of a CPC Committee Office of Taiwan Affairs Office and ten functional departments, which are The Department of Secretary (including The Department of Personnel), The Department of Integration, The Department of Research, The Department of Information, The Department of Economy, The Department of Hongkong and Macao Affairs Related to Taiwan, The Department of Exchange, The Department of Liaison, The Department of Law and Regulation and The Department of Complaints and Coordination.

The Department of Secretary

Its main functions are: to coordinate the routine and vocational work of the Office; to perform comprehensively the work of circulating documents and telegrams, arranging meetings, handling letters, appeals and complaints, preserving secrecy, handling communication and processing information;to be in charge of collecting and managing archives, distributing newspapers, periodicals, reference books , and providing rear-services for the wholeOffice.

The Department of Personnel

It is responsible for assessment, appointments and removals, promotion, salaries and welfare of the staff in the Office; to arrange the organizational structure and the personnel manning quotas of the institutions directly affiliated to the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council; to organize and guide the work of training and educating cadres both in the Office and in the subordinate systems related to Taiwan affairs in the country.

The Department of Integration

Its main functions are to handle the routine affairs of Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait(ARATS); to coordinate the handling of unexpected emergencies concerning the Taiwan issue and other related affairs; to manage the donation from Taiwan compatriots and their relatives .

The Department of Research

Its main functions are: to analyse the situation in Taiwan and the cross-Straits relations, draft reports on actual situation and put forward proposals on policy planning; to guide and coordinate the situation assessment and policy analysis ofthe central and local departments concerned.

The Department of Information

Its main functions are: to coordinate the media and publicity work concerning the Taiwan question, to hold press conferences concerning Taiwan; to inform the cadres and masses of the guideline and policies of the central authorities regarding the settlement of the Taiwan question in coordination with deparments concerned.

The Department of Economy

Its main functions are: to coordinate and guide the economic work related to Taiwan; to manage and provide services for enterprises investd by Taiwan businessmen; to deal with economic disputes and provide relatedinformation for Taiwan investors.

The Department of Hongkong and Macao Affairs Related to Taiwan

Its main responsibility is to handle affairs related to the Taiwan issue in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macao Special Administrative Regionin coordination with the departments concerned.

The Department of Exchange

Its main functions are: to examine, approve, manage and coordinate the cross-Straits exchanges in areas of culture, films and television, academic research, education, health, sports, ethnic groups, publication, religion, etc; to manage visits of mainland personnel to Taiwan in private capacities.

The Department of Law and Regulation

Its main functions are: to study and enact legal policies related to Taiwan affaires, cooperate with other ministries and departments to draft laws and regulations, instruct and coordinate the legal works related to Taiwan affairs.

The Department of Complaints and Coordination

Its main functions are: to deal with crucial cases of Taiwan businessmen's complaint, receive and handle calls and correspondence from Taiwan compatriots and their relatives in the mainland.

The CPC Committee Office of the Taiwan affairs Office

Main functions are: to take charge of the ideological and organizational style construction and discipline inspection ofthe Office; to guide the construction of the spiritual civilization of the Office and to handle affairs ofthe Trade union, the Communist Youth League and the Women's Federation.