Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China
The Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, or “MOFCOM)” serves as China’s primary state organ for domestic and international trade policy. Established in 2003 through institutional consolidation, MOFCOM merged the former Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation with select functions from the State Development Planning Commission and State Economic and Trade Commission.
The ministry’s extensive mandate encompasses both domestic commercial regulation and international economic diplomacy. Current Minister Wang Wentao, appointed in 2020, oversees operations from Beijing headquarters at 2 East Chang’an Street. MOFCOM’s institutional evolution reflects China’s economic transition – from centrally-planned trade apparatus (1952-1982) to market-oriented commercial governance.
Key responsibilities include formulating trade policies, managing foreign investment approvals, conducting WTO negotiations, and coordinating anti-dumping investigations. The ministry also administers China’s foreign aid programs and oversees special economic zones. Recent organizational changes in 2018 transferred antitrust enforcement to market regulators and foreign aid coordination to the newly created National International Development Cooperation Agency, indicating ongoing institutional refinement within China’s economic governance structure.
