The National Ethnic Affairs Commission (NEAC), also called the State Ethnic Affairs Commission (SEAC), is a body under the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party that is responsible for administering the Chinese ethnic policies, researching ethnological theories, carrying out ethnic work and education, supervising the implementation and improvement of the system of regional ethnic autonomy.

History

In 1949, the Ethnic Affairs Commission of the Central People's Government (Chinese: 中央人民政府民族事务委员会) was established. In 1954, the Ethnic Affairs Commission of the Central People's Government was renamed the Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People's Republic of China (Chinese: 中华人民共和国民族事务委员会). The PRC Ethnic Affairs Commission was abolished in 1970. The State Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People's Republic of China (Chinese: 中华人民共和国国家民族事务委员会) was established. Since 1978, it has been a constituent department of the State Council.

The National Ethnic Affairs Commission was put under the leadership of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in March 2018 as part of a series of institutional reforms. The National Ethnic Affairs Commission remains as a constituent department of the State Council.

On August 31, 2020, according to the National Development and Reform Commission's "Implementation Opinions on Comprehensively Pushing Forward the Reform of Delinking Trade Associations and Administrative Organs", the China Association of Ethnic Folk Crafts and Arts Artists, the China Ethnic Economy Promotion Association for Foreign Cooperation, and the National Association of Ethnic Secondary Education, formerly under the supervision of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, were separated from the State Ethnic Affairs Commission.

In 2022, the NEAC launched a publication called DeepChina and its domestic Chinese edition Dao Zhonghua (Chinese: 道中華) to conduct "public opinion struggle" and "cognitive warfare" in support of the CCP's ethnic policies. In 2025, the State Council granted NEAC authority to design and pilot a new and explicitly "political" ethnographic field of study at 15 universities that emphasizes "community" between Han and non-Han ethnicities in mainland China.

Organization

According to the Provisions on the Functional Configuration, Internal Organizations and Staffing of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission and the Approval of the Central Editorial Office on Adjusting the Organizational Establishment of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, the NEAC has set up the following organizations:

Internal Organizations

  • General Office
  • Division of Coordination and Promotion
  • Division of Theory and Research
  • Division of Policies and Regulations
  • Division of Promotion of National Unity
  • Division of Joint Development
  • Division of Culture and Publicity
  • Division of Education
  • Division of International Exchange (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Office)
  • Division of Personnel
  • Division Party Committee of Organizations
  • Bureau of Retired Cadres

Directly Affiliated Organizations

  • Public Opinion Center (Chinese: 舆情中心)
  • Ancient Book Processing and Research Office (Chinese: 古籍整理研究室)
  • Organization Service Center (Organization Service Bureau)

Directly Affiliated Cultural institutions

Directly Affiliated Higher Education Institutions

Directly Affiliated Enterprise Units

  • China National Culture Publishing House Ltd.

Leadership

No.PortraitNameTook officeLeft officeImportant offices held during tenureHighest office heldNotesRef.
Director of the Ethnic Affairs Commission of the Central People's Government
1Li Weihan19 October 194928 September 1954Secretary-General of the State Council, Head of the United Front Work DepartmentMember of the Politburo Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Deputy Director of the Central Advisory CommissionDeputy-state level, Han
Director of the Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People's Republic of China
2Ulanhu28 September 195422 June 1970Vice Premier of the State CouncilVice President of ChinaDeputy-state level, Mongol
Director of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People's Republic of China
3Yang Jingren5 March 197820 January 1986Deputy Head of the United Front Work Department Vice Premier of the State Council since September 1980, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since June 1983Deputy-state level, Hui
4Ismail Amat20 January 198618 March 1998Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since April 1988 State Councilor since 1993Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's CongressDeputy-state level, Uyghur
5Li Dezhu18 March 199817 March 2008Deputy Head of the United Front Work DepartmentKorean
6Yang Jing17 March 200816 March 2013Deputy Head of the United Front Work Department Secretary of the CCP Secretariat since November 2012State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State CouncilDeputy-state level, Mongol
7Wang Zhengwei16 March 201328 April 2016Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Deputy Head of the United Front Work DepartmentVice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative ConferenceHui
8Bagatur28 April 201626 December 2020Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since March 2018Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative ConferenceMongol
9Chen Xiaojiang26 December 202024 June 2022Deputy Head of the United Front Work DepartmentExecutive Deputy Head of the United Front Work DepartmentHan
10Pan Yue24 June 2022IncumbentDeputy Head of the United Front Work DepartmentHan

See also

Related PRC authorities

External links