Ministry of Commerce (China)

Before October 1949, the Ministry of Economic Affairs was the governing agency of the Republic of China on the mainland responsible for economic trade issues. The agency was created in 1931 and reorganized in 1937.^{[citation needed]}

In November 1949, a month after the People's Republic of China was established, the Chinese Communist Party formed the Ministry of Trade (贸易部) while the MOEA continued to operate in Taiwan and several other islands.^{[citation needed]}

In August 1952, the Ministry was renamed to Ministry of Foreign Trade (对外贸易部). Ye Jizhuang was the first Minister and died in the post in 1967.^{[citation needed]}

In March 1982, the Ministry of Foreign Trade was merged with the Ministry of Foreign Economic Liaison (对外经济联络部), the State Import and Export Regulation Commission (国家进出口管理委员会), and the State Foreign Investment Regulation Commission (国家外国投资管理委员会), and became the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade (对外经济贸易部).^{[citation needed]}

In March 1993, the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade was renamed to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (对外贸易经济合作部).^{[1][non-primary source needed]}

In the spring of 2003, the former Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation went through a reorganization and was renamed Ministry of Commerce. During 2003, the Ministry established Forum Macao in the Macao Special Administrative Region as a multi-lateral mechanism for cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries.^[2]: 62

In 2006, the Ministry of Commerce oversaw the program of "ten thousand businesses advance westward" in conjunction with the Hu-Wen administration's early emphasis on balancing regional development.^[3]: 217

The ministry also incorporates the former State Economic and Trade Commission and the State Development Planning Commission.

In 2018, the ministry lost its powers and responsibilities regarding anti-monopoly, intellectual property, counterfeit goods, foreign aid, and some financial products to other departments.^[4]

MOFCOM is in charge of the administration of foreign trade and is China's primary foreign trade negotiator.^[5]: 210 MOFCOM is China's most important negotiator in the global governance of intellectual property.^{[5]: 210–211} It additionally is responsible for developing strategic national plans in the areas of finance and taxation, drafts the central financing budget, supervises central financial expenditures, and audits the budget and accounts of state capital and the national social insurance fund.^[6]: 40 It works with the National Development and Reform Commission to draft negative lists for foreign investments at the national level and for special economic zones.^[4] MOFCOM assists in drafting laws and regulations in its relevant policy areas.^[6]: 40

MOFCOM additionally has responsibilities on economic relations with Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.^[4] To that end the Vice Minister An Min, and the previous Financial Secretary of Hong Kong, Antony Leung, concluded the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA). New agreements are continually negotiated between An and the current Financial Secretary John Tsang under the auspices of the CEPA. Similar agreements were also concluded between the MOFCOM and Secretariat for Economy and Finance of Macau.^{[citation needed]}

A ministerial-level MOFCOM vice minister serves as the International Trade Representative, representing China at bilateral and multilateral trade agreements.^[4]

The Ministry of Commerce is structured into the following departments:^[8]

• China International Electronic Commerce Center (CIECC)
• China Investment Promotion Agency (CIPA)
• Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Republic of China

• Official website