Entity Type: PRC Party-State Agency

The Xinhua News Agency National High-End Think Tank (新华社国家高端智库), abbreviated as NCR, is the only media-focused institution among China’s national high-end think tanks. According to its organizational structure, it operates through six specialized centers focusing on areas including national strategy, world affairs, economic research, communication strategy, public policy, and public opinion. The think tank claims to conduct “forward-looking, strategic, and reserve research” on major domestic and international issues, with an emphasis on policy research. In 2019, it established the “Belt and Road” International Think Tank Cooperation Committee, which it says includes more than 130 think tanks from China and abroad. In February 2025, it released a report on civilizational exchange at a China-Japan dialogue in Tokyo, which claimed to offer “Chinese solutions” for deepening cultural understanding between nations. The organization appears to serve as both a research institution and what it calls an “international platform” for advancing Chinese policy perspectives through academic exchanges and global think tank networks.

The International Department of the Chinese Communist Party, commonly known as Zhonglianbu (中聯部), was established in 1951 as a functional department responsible for the Chinese Communist Party’s external work. Operating under the direct leadership of the Party Central Committee, the department has continuously expanded its scope around different Party central tasks, contributing to Party building, reform and opening-up, and overall diplomacy. Since the 18th Party Congress, the department has implemented Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on Party external work. It currently maintains relationships with more than 600 political parties and political organizations from over 160 countries and regions through high-level exchanges, forum dialogues, and working visits. The department focuses on four key areas: serving overall diplomatic layout, conducting research on international situations, building personal networks combining party and government officials, and promoting China’s image by introducing the Party’s governing philosophy. The department has cultivated a culture of “loyalty, dedication, pragmatism, and pioneering.”

The People’s Government of Sichuan Province is the provincial administrative authority of Sichuan Province in the People’s Republic of China. The government’s current structure includes 23 departments, one special institution, eight direct agencies, and ten departmental management institutions. According to the law, its functions include implementing higher-level directives, managing local economic and social development, protecting various forms of property ownership, and “promoting extensive interaction and integration among all ethnic groups.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is China’s executive department of the State Council responsible for foreign relations. Under Xi Jinping since late 2012, the ministry has become far more vocal and active in pushing China’s agenda abroad, and is a frequent actor in overseas media diplomacy as well as disinformation campaigns. Established in September 1954, it evolved from its 1949 predecessor under Zhou Enlai’s leadership. The ministry manages China’s foreign policy, diplomatic missions, UN representation, and treaty negotiations, while operating under the Central Foreign Affairs Commission. Originally starting with 170 staff in 1949, the ministry has grown to maintain what it claims is the world’s “largest diplomatic network” with 274 posts as of 2024. The ministry underwent significant changes during the Cultural Revolution, followed by reforms under Deng Xiaoping emphasizing professionalism over ideology.

The United Front Work Department is a high-level Chinese Communist Party organization that reports directly to the Party’s Central Committee. Described by both Mao Zedong and Xi Jinping as China’s “magic weapon,” it coordinates influence operations domestically and internationally through nine specialized bureaus targeting different groups. The department aims to co-opt and neutralize potential opposition to CCP policies, shape narratives about China abroad, and influence overseas Chinese communities. Under Xi Jinping’s leadership since 2012, the UFWD has gained renewed prominence in Beijing’s foreign policy apparatus, though China denies allegations it engages in espionage through the department. The nine bureaus oversee work ranging from relations with non-communist parties to ethnic minority affairs and overseas Chinese community engagement.