Recently, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the “Opinions on Deepening Reform of Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce” (hereinafter referred to as the “Opinions”). On the occasion of the public release of the “Opinions,” a responsible official from the Central Social Work Department answered questions from reporters regarding the formulation and implementation of the document.

Q: Could you please explain the background and significance of the issuance of the “Opinions”?

Answer: Industry associations and chambers of commerce are an important force in China’s economic development and social progress. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the reform and development of industry associations and chambers of commerce, making a series of major decisions and arrangements. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee emphasized achieving, within a specified timeframe, the genuine separation of these organizations from administrative organs; the 20th National Congress called for streamlining the management system for Party building in industry associations, academic societies, and chambers of commerce; the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee stressed deepening the reform of industry associations and chambers of commerce; and the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee underscored the need to advance their reform and development. These major decisions and arrangements have propelled new achievements and elevated China’s industry associations and chambers of commerce to a new stage, with their role in serving economic and social development becoming increasingly prominent. At the same time, these organizations remain in a period of transformation and adjustment following the decoupling reform. In the face of evolving circumstances and tasks, they continue to grapple with longstanding issues and emerging challenges in areas such as Party leadership, comprehensive oversight, internal governance, structural planning, and the effective exercise of their functions—challenges that urgently require resolution through further deepening of reforms.

The “Opinions” provide a comprehensive plan and systematic framework for deepening reform of industry associations and chambers of commerce in the new context, fully reflecting the CPC Central Committee’s high regard for the reform and development of these organizations. They are of great significance for upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership, stimulating and enhancing social vitality, and advancing the modernization of social governance.

Q: Could you please outline the main structure and key contents of the “Opinions”?

Answer: The “Opinions” comprise seven sections and 18 measures. The first section sets out the overall requirements, clarifying the guiding principles and overarching objectives for deepening reform of industry associations and chambers of commerce. Sections two through six constitute the core content, focusing on five key areas—upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership, improving management systems and operational mechanisms, adjusting and optimizing structural arrangements, actively enhancing functional roles, and fostering a favorable development environment—and delineating priority tasks and specific measures to advance this reform. The seventh section outlines requirements for strengthening organization and implementation.

Q: With regard to upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership, what arrangements does the “Opinion” make?

Answer: The leadership of the Party is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and also the fundamental principle that industry associations and chambers of commerce must adhere to in deepening reform. The “Opinions” lay out four key measures to uphold and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership and reinforce Party building as a guiding force. First, with regard to streamlining the management system for Party building, it calls for accelerating the establishment of a work framework that integrates sectoral and regional responsibilities, ensures vertical coordination, and fosters effective collaboration; establishing and improving a mechanism whereby “industry oversight extends to Party building”; implementing the responsibility of all departments to jointly manage this work; further clarifying the affiliation of Party organizations within industry associations and chambers of commerce; and building a comprehensive, smoothly functioning Party organization system. Second, to enhance the political and organizational functions of Party organizations, it requires improving the quality of Party organization and work coverage, advancing the standardization and regularization of Party branches, refining mechanisms for Party organizations to fulfill their roles, and encouraging Party organizations in industry associations and chambers of commerce to effectively participate in decision-making on major matters such as important personnel appointments, thereby strengthening their political responsibility to lead development. Third, to strengthen election‑related norms and build a robust team of leaders, it mandates the establishment of sound systems for the nomination, review, public announcement, supervision, and exit of leaders of industry associations and chambers of commerce, as well as for regular reporting by principal leaders, accountability, and handover procedures upon changes in leadership. It also calls for rigorous screening of leadership candidates, enhanced oversight and management of leaders, vigorous rectification of irregularities during leadership transitions, and strict regulation of honorary positions held by leaders. Fourth, to intensify supervision and disciplinary enforcement, it requires improving the discipline inspection mechanism, promoting the standardization, rule of law, and institutionalization of discipline inspection work, establishing and refining procedures for handling leads involving suspected violations of discipline by Party organizations and members within industry associations and chambers of commerce, perfecting anti-corruption and integrity‑building systems in these organizations, deepening efforts to address unhealthy tendencies and corruption, and comprehensively advancing the goals of ensuring that officials dare not be corrupt, cannot be corrupt, and do not want to be corrupt.

Q: With regard to consolidating and expanding the achievements of the reform that decouples industry associations and chambers of commerce, what requirements does the “Opinion” set forth?

Answer: The “Opinions” uphold the direction of de‑administrativization in industry associations and chambers of commerce, setting forth three key requirements for consolidating and expanding the achievements of the decoupling reform. First, it calls for establishing and improving a management system characterized by unified leadership by Party committees, coordinated oversight by Party committee departments responsible for social work, and clear division of responsibilities and collaborative, comprehensive supervision among registration authorities, industry regulators, competent supervisory bodies, and relevant functional departments. Second, it emphasizes strengthening comprehensive oversight of the assets of industry associations and chambers of commerce, refining an asset‑management model that ensures clear ownership, standardized and orderly operations, openness and transparency, and rigorous supervision. Third, it seeks to progressively promote the separation of institutions, functions, finances, and personnel within industry associations and chambers of commerce that have competent supervisory bodies, while reinforcing routine guidance and management oversight, so as to ensure lawful, autonomous, and规范ized operations and healthy, orderly development.

Q: With regard to improving the management systems and operational mechanisms of industry associations and chambers of commerce, what arrangements does the “Opinion” make?

A: The comprehensive regulatory system established during the decoupling reform has been in place for nearly a decade and urgently requires further refinement and improvement to align with the new circumstances and tasks. The “Opinions” focus on strengthening and perfecting the integrated governance framework for industry associations and chambers of commerce, outlining measures in three key areas. First, it calls for bolstering government oversight by clearly designating the competent administrative departments for directly registered and decoupled industry associations and chambers of commerce, and requiring them to fulfill their responsibilities—such as providing business guidance, exercising industry supervision, and advancing Party building—in accordance with their respective functions. It also directs local authorities and relevant departments to review all management and service matters pertaining to industry associations and chambers of commerce, with particular attention to identifying issues that have emerged since decoupling and formulating targeted improvement measures; to explore the establishment of a categorized management system; to institute and refine a system for seeking approval and reporting on major matters; and to strengthen oversight of priority issues. In addition, it seeks to deepen reforms of the registration system by developing regulations for the direct registration of industry associations and chambers of commerce, piloting simplified dissolution procedures, and improving exit mechanisms. Second, it aims to establish and enhance social oversight mechanisms by enacting an information disclosure regime for industry associations and chambers of commerce, encouraging and supporting media, the general public, and members to exercise oversight, ensuring smooth channels for complaints and reports, and exploring the creation of professional, socially‑oriented third‑party oversight mechanisms. Third, it seeks to elevate the capacity of industry associations and chambers of commerce to govern themselves in accordance with the law by strengthening federated and comprehensive associations, establishing sound internal management systems, standardizing the establishment and rigorously managing executive offices and branch (representative) offices, regulating fee‑charging practices and foreign‑related exchanges and cooperation, comprehensively reinforcing asset and financial management, and imposing strict controls over the establishment of affiliated enterprises.

Q: With regard to adjusting and optimizing the structure and layout of industry associations and chambers of commerce, what arrangements does the “Opinion” make?

A: Compared with the needs of economic and social development, the structure and layout of industry associations and chambers of commerce in China still suffer from issues such as irrationality and imbalance. The “Opinions” set out three key measures to adjust and optimize this structure and layout. First, four reform pathways are clearly defined: streamline and consolidate industry associations and chambers of commerce that exhibit overlapping functions, operate on too small a scale, have overly fragmented sectoral divisions, or play a weak role; accelerate the withdrawal of those that have become dysfunctional, disrupt market order, face industry contraction, or have already fulfilled their stated objectives; prioritize the cultivation and development of associations and chambers that align with major national strategies and regional development priorities, support industrial transformation and upgrading, and serve the emergence of new‑type productive forces; and actively encourage the lawful establishment of such organizations in strategic emerging industries, future‑oriented sectors, and green, low‑carbon industries. Second, regulate scale appropriately: strengthen consolidation efforts for national‑level industry associations and chambers of commerce; for local entities, enhance macro‑level guidance and coordination in light of regional economic and social development trends and shifts in industrial structure; and, for city‑ and county‑level associations and chambers, simplify exit procedures in accordance with the law and manage overall size through orderly competition. Third, avoid a one‑size‑fits‑all approach, eschew haste and overreach, and proceed according to the principles of pilot projects first and steady advancement—starting with areas where national‑level associations and chambers are concentrated and with select localities—to accumulate experience before scaling up gradually.

Q: With regard to leveraging the functions and roles of industry associations and chambers of commerce, what requirements does the “Opinion” set forth?

Answer: Fully leveraging the positive role of industry associations and chambers of commerce in serving economic and social development is the ultimate goal of deepening reform. The “Opinions” clarify the functional positioning and key areas for action of these organizations from three perspectives. First, standardizing industry development: Industry associations and chambers of commerce should establish and improve systems for self-regulation and mechanisms for self‑disciplinary restraint; formulate and implement codes of professional ethics; conduct industry‑wide credit assessments in accordance with the law; consciously resist “involutionary” competition; impose sanctions on members who violate self‑regulatory rules; and play a role in resolving petition‑related disputes, thereby better safeguarding the orderly development of their respective sectors. Second, expanding service functions: These organizations should promote the implementation within their industries of the Party’s theories, guidelines, policies, as well as national development strategies and sector‑specific plans; provide services and voice industry concerns in accordance with the law; carry out research and statistical work; advance the establishment of advanced industry standards; facilitate the promotion and application of new technologies and products; support the development of cutting‑edge industrial clusters; and proactively engage in efforts such as rural revitalization, social governance, volunteer services, public welfare and charity, food safety, and emergency response. Third, participating in international exchanges and cooperation: National-level industry associations and chambers of commerce, in particular, should actively take part in the formulation of international standards and rules; join or help establish international economic and trade dialogue mechanisms; assist in building platforms for international supply‑and‑demand matchmaking; participate in international economic and trade negotiations, address trade frictions, and engage in trade remedies and anti‑discrimination measures; and guide and encourage industry enterprises to actively contribute to the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as to global industrial division of labor and cooperation.

Q: What measures does the “Opinion” outline to optimize the development environment for industry associations and chambers of commerce?

Answer: A favorable development environment is a crucial safeguard for promoting the standardized and sound growth of industry associations and chambers of commerce. The “Opinions” set out three key measures to strengthen support and foster development and to optimize the business climate. First, enhance policy support: encourage local governments and relevant departments to formulate and implement, based on local conditions, policies and measures that facilitate the transformation and development of industry associations and chambers of commerce; transfer or entrust, in accordance with law and established procedures, functions and tasks suitable for such organizations to qualified entities; and ensure the effective implementation of tax incentives, financial support, and other related policies. Second, reinforce human resource capacity: intensify efforts to cultivate and train talent within these organizations, establish and improve a robust system for professional development and evaluation, create clear career advancement pathways, and standardize remuneration management. Third, facilitate communication and engagement: establish institutionalized channels for soliciting public suggestions from industry associations and chambers of commerce, and, in compliance with the law, share relevant information and data with eligible organizations.

Question: What requirements are there for advancing the implementation of the “Opinions”?

A: The vitality of any system lies in its implementation. To effectively implement the “Opinions,” all regions and relevant departments must work together. In accordance with the requirements of the “Opinions,” Party committees and governments at all levels should strengthen organizational leadership and promptly address major issues. Social work departments of Party committees at all levels should enhance overall coordination and oversight to ensure that relevant policies and measures are put into practice and yield tangible results. Furthermore, efforts should be stepped up to carry out publicity and guidance, fostering a favorable environment that supports the development of industry associations and chambers of commerce.