Entity Type: PRC Party-State Agency

The Ministry of Science and Technology functions as a cabinet-level department under China’s State Council. Originally established as a commission in 1958, it was elevated to ministry status in 1998. The ministry says it is responsible for “formulating guidelines and related policies for science and technology” in China. In 2023, the ministry underwent significant restructuring, with officials stating it would shift away from managing specific research projects to focus on supervisory and guiding roles. The reorganization included the transfer of several key offices, including the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs to the Human Resources ministry and the Biotechnology Development Center to the National Health Commission. The ministry reports an annual budget of $51 billion for 2024 and maintains international research partnerships with various entities, including the European Union and United Nations.

The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (中國人民政治協商會議) was established on September 21, 1949, during the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The CPPCC served as China’s interim legislature from 1949 to 1954, before the National People’s Congress was established. During its inaugural session from September 21-30, 1949, in Beijing, the CPPCC adopted the Common Program as the country’s basic political framework, selected Beijing as the capital, and chose the five-star red flag as the national flag. The organization functions as China’s top political advisory body and a central component of the Chinese Communist Party’s united front system. The CPPCC consists of representatives from various political parties, social organizations, and sectors of society who provide consultation on political and social issues, though it lacks legislative power.

The Propaganda Office of the Gansu Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (中共甘肅省委宣傳部) serves as the chief office responsible for communicating the agendas of the provincial party leadership and overseeing state-run media in Gansu Province, including the mouthpiece newspaper Gansu Daily (甘肅日報). It coordinates party ideological work throughout the province while simultaneously operating under multiple official names, allowing it to exercise comprehensive control over news, publishing, and cultural production. The department functions as the central enforcer of the party’s media discipline, ensuring all local outlets maintain proper political orientation in line with central and provincial level directives. 

The Gansu International Communication Center (甘肅國際傳播中心) is a media organization established on August 29, 2022, directly under the supervision of the Propaganda Office of the Gansu Provincial Committee of the CCP (中共甘肅省委宣傳部) — and sponsored by the Gansu Daily Media Group (甘肅日報報業集團). The ICC is part of a national strategy under Xi Jinping since 2018, accelerating from 2021, to enhance China’s global communication strategy by leveraging local and regional media assets. GICC’s overseas media accounts include the Facebook accounts “Gansu Flavor,” “Gansu Focus” and possibly also “HiGansu,” as well as the X account “Explore Gansu.”

The State Council Information Office (SCIO) is the external nameplate of the Central Propaganda Department (中共中央宣傳部) of the Chinese Communist Party. Established in January 1991, SCIO was created to improve China’s international image following the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Until 2014, SCIO operated under the arrangement known as “one institution with two names” (一個機構兩塊牌子) alongside the Office of External Propaganda (OEP). In May 2014, the OEP was formally absorbed into the Central Propaganda Department, transforming SCIO into an external nameplate. SCIO’s functions include holding press conferences on major national policies, providing media materials to introduce China internationally, assisting foreign journalists covering China, and encouraging Chinese media to report on international news. While SCIO’s official description claims it “promotes communication, understanding and trust between China and countries across the world,” scholars describe it as the “public face” of China’s “foreign propaganda work.”

The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (中国人民对外友好协会), or CPAFFC, is a Beijing-based organization established in May 1954 that manages sister city relationships and international cultural exchanges — and serves as a key conduit for establishing links with individuals and organizations overseas favorable to the official agendas of the CCP leadership. Directly under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA, the organization, as its name suggests, is officially geared toward promoting “friendship” (友谊) between Chinese and foreign peoples, but the CCP’s conception of friendship centers on notions going back to Soviet Russia that emphasize harmony, lack of criticism and even accommodation of China’s positions and goals.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工業和信息化部) is a cabinet-level executive department of China’s State Council, established in 2008 to supersede the Ministry of Information Industry. MIIT oversees regulation and development of telecommunications, internet, broadcasting, electronics, software industry, and industrial policy. The ministry plays a central role in China’s technological governance, including an active role in implementing technical aspects of internet censorship including the approval since 2023 of all mobile apps distributed in the country. The ministry also manages radio spectrum allocation. MIIT spearheaded the “Made in China 2025” industrial plan and co-organizes major government initiatives like the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, functioning as a key instrument for advancing state priorities in technology and industrial development while maintaining strict control over China’s digital infrastructure.

The Chinese Academy of Engineering (中國工程院) is China’s national academy for engineering, established in 1994 as an institution under the State Council. With 920 Chinese members and 93 foreign members across nine divisions, CAE claims to be “the highest honorary and advisory academic institution in the nation’s fields of engineering sciences and technology.” The academy describes its mission as providing consultation for national decision-making and building a “top think-tank” that is “reliable for the nation.” Like its counterpart, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAE functions primarily as a state-directed advisory body advancing government priorities in engineering and technology development, while co-organizing major government initiatives alongside multiple Chinese ministries.