I. Major Functions of the National Bureau of Statistics

As an agency directly under the State Council, the National Bureau of Statistics is in charge of statistics and economic accounting in China. In Accordance with the Statistics Law of the People's Republic of China and relevant stipulations of the State Council, Major Functions of the National Bureau of Statistics include:

　　1. To work out laws and regulations on statistical work, to formulate directive rules for statistical operation, to draw up plans for statistical modernization and nationwide statistical surveys, to organize, exercise leadership and supervision over statistical and economic accounting work in various localities and departments, and to supervise and inspect the enforcement of statistical laws and regulations:

　　2. To set up and improve the national economic accounting system and statistical country; to work out national statistical standards; to review and approve statistical standards by other government departments; to organize the administration of national statistical survey projects, to examine, approve and manage plans and schemes for statistical surveys by other departments;

　　3. To organize the implementation of major censuses on the basic items relating to the state and strength of the country; to exercise unified administration over socio-economic surveys in various localities and departments, to collect, process and tabulate basic statistical information from a statistical perspective on the national economic and scientific progress and social development; to provide statistical information and relevant proposals for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council and government departments concerned;

　　4. To act as the exclusive agency in verifying, approving, administering and publishing basic national statistical data and to regularly disseminate to the general public statistical information with regard to the national economic and social development;

　　5. To build up an administer the national statistical information system and the national statistical database system; to formulate basic standards and operational rules for statistical database networks in various localities and departments;

　　6. To exercise leadership over directly-affiliated surveying agencies in various localities; to exercise unified management over operating expenses of statistical activities for statistical agencies in local people’s governments at and above county level; to assist in the management of directors and deputy directors of local statistical offices of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government; to organize and administer qualification examinations and the evaluation of professional titles for statisticians across the country.

II. Organizational Structure of the National Bureau of Statistics

In order to carry out the above-mentioned functions, the National Bureau of Statistics is composed of 12 functional departments together with a number of directly-affiliated institutions. The basic functions of major departments are:

　　1. Administrative Office: Responsible for overall coordination and management of internal administration, communication of administrative information and secretarial work;

　　2. Department of International Cooperation: Responsible for the organization and implementation of bilateral and multilateral international statistical exchange and cooperation programs, and communication with international organizations and official statistical agencies of various countries:

　　3. Department of Statistical Policies and Legislation: Responsible for working out medium-to-long-term programs and implementing methods for statistical restructuring; drafting, revision and supervisory inspection of statistical laws, regulations and operation rules;

　　4. Department of Statistical Design and Management: Responsible for working out statistical restructuring plans and schemes: organizing and establishing the system of national accounts and national statistical surveys: working out national statistical standards and examining and finalizing statistical standards by other departments; examining, approving and managing statistical survey programs and plans formulated by various departments;

　　5. Department of Comprehensive Statistics of the National Economy: Responsible for conducting monitoring, forecast and comprehensive analysis on the performance of the national economy and preparing macro-regulation proposals;

　　6. Department of National Accounts: Responsible for organizational work in the implementation of the system of national accounts; preparing gross domestic product accounts, input-output tables, flow of funds accounts, balance of payments, asset-liability accounts and resources and environment accounts;

　　7. Department of Industrial an Transport Statistics: Responsible for organizational work in the implementation of surveys for industrial and energy statistics, collecting, processing an providing statistical data on transportation, post and telecommunications as well as conducting statistical analysis;

　　8. Department of Statistics on Investment in Fixed Assets: Responsible for organizational work in the implementation of statistical surveys on investment in fixed assets, on construction industry and real estate, collecting, processing and providing statistical data relating to geological prospecting, urban housing and public utilities as well as conducting statistical analysis;

　　9. Department of Statistics on Trade and External Economic Relations: Responsible for organizational work in the implementation of statistical surveys on wholesale and retail trade, catering and on the performance of market operation, collecting, processing and providing statistical data concerning foreign trade, foreign investment and tourism as well as conducting statistical analysis;

　　10. Department of Population, Social and Science Statistics: Responsible for organizational work in the implementation of statistical surveys on population and labor, collecting, processing and providing statistical data pertaining to social development and scientific and technological advancement as well as conducting statistical analysis;

　　11. Organization of Rural Socio-Economic Survey: Responsible for collecting, processing and providing statistical data on agricultural production, income and expenditure of rural households, rural economy, farming activities and distribution of income as well as conducting statistical analysis;

　　12. Organization of Urban Socio-Economic Survey: Responsible for collecting, processing an providing statistical data relating to market prices, income and expenditure of urban households and urban development as well as conducting statistical analysis;

　　13. Organization of Enterprise Survey: Responsible for collecting, processing and providing statistical data through sample surveys of enterprises of various types of ownership and from through special surveys as well as conducting statistical analysis;

　　14. Census Center; Responsible for studying an dworking out census plans on major items reflecting the state and strength of the country, strdying special technical problems in censuses, organizing the implementation of censuses of basic statistical units and the tertiary industry, providing relevant statistical data and conducting analysis;

　　15. International Statistical Information Center: Responsible for Providing Chinese statistical information to international organizations and to foreign government staftistical agencies through statistical data exchange programs, collecting, processing and utilizing statistical information from other countries as well as from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and conducting studies on International Comparison Program (ICP);

　　16. The Computing Center: Responsible for organizational work in the development and management of the national statistical information system, application and development of information technology, processing and administration of data from national statistical surveys and the establishment of the national statistical database system as well as the operation, maintenance and management of statistical information networks across the country.

Apart from these department, there are also departments in charge of personnel management and training of statisticians, budget management, statistical research, publishing, new release and press relations, economic performance survey, information service and logistics support.

The Official Statistical System of China

As is stipulated in the Statistical Law, the State establishes a centralized and unified statistical system by instituting the statistical management system featuring unified leadership and decentralized administration. Government statistical agencies and personnel shall exercise their functions of statistical survey, reporting and supervision according to the law without any infringement. The official statistical system in China consists of the government statistical system and department statistical system.

I. The Government Statistical System

The institution of statistical agencies and deployment of statisticians at all levels of the government constitute the government statistical system. The National Bureau of Statistics is established under the State Council while independent statistical agencies are set up in local people’s governments at and above county level. At the township level, either statistical stations are instituted or full-time or part-time statisticians are employed. In addition, the National Bureau of Statistics has also established, under its direct leadership and administration, 3 survey-taking institution, namely, Organization of Rural Socio-economic surveys, Organization of Urban Socio-economic Surveys and Organization of Enterprise Surveys across the country.

Major functions of the overall government statistical system include:

　　1. To work out plans for statistical surveys, making arrangements for and inspecting statistical work and economic accounting work at national or local levels;

　　2. To organize the implementation of national and local statistical surveys, to collect, process and provide statistical data of the whole country or of a particular region;

　　3. To conduct statistical analysis on economic and social development and to exercise statistical supervision;

　　4. To administer and coordinate statistical survey questionnaires designed by various department;

With regard to statistical agencies of local governments, they do not only collect and provide statistical data for governments at higher levels, but also collect and provide statistical information and submit statistical analysis reports for the local government.

II. Department Statistical System

The institution of statistical agencies and employment of statisticians by various departments both directly under the State Council and at the local levels in light of the requirements of statistical tasks constitute the department statistical system. Its major responsibilities include:

　　1. To organize and coordinate statistical work of the department concerned, accomplish the tasks in national and local statistical surveys, work out and implement department statistical survey programs, and to collect, process and provide statistical data;

　　2. To make statistical analysis of and exercise statistical supervision over the development of the department and sector concerned;

　　3. To organize and coordinate statistical work of enterprises and institutions within the jurisdiction of the department concerned and managed statistical questionnaires to be used within the department.

III. Management and Coordination of statistical Activities

　　1. Statistical Management and Coordination

The National Bureau of Statistics is responsible for the organization, leadership and coordination of national statistical work and national economic accounting endeavors. The rural, urban and enterprise survey organizations directly affiliated with the National Bureau of Statistics is under the direct leadership of the Bureau. The statistical agencies of the provincial, prefectural and county governments and statisticians at the township governments are responsible for the organization, leadership and coordination of statistical and national economic accounting endeavors within their own administrative areas. They are under the dual leadership of governments at the same levels and statistical agencies at higher levels with the latter primarily exercising leadership from the perspective of statistical operation. Statistical activities of the statistical offices or chief statisticians in various departments of the State Council and Local governments are under the guidance of the National Bureau of Statistics or statistical agencies of local governments at the corresponding levels.

　　2. Personnel Administration

The staff size local government statistical system at and above county level is reviewed and approved by the local governments, except that of the local branches of the 3 survey organizations, which is reviewed and approved by the State Council and Managed by the National Bureau of Statistics. Directors and Deputy Directors of statistical offices of local governments at and above county level are managed by the local governments at the corresponding levels with assistance from the statistical agencies of governments at higher levels.

The Staff size of rural, urban and enterprise survey organizations is determined by the National Bureau of Statistics and managed in a decentralized manner. The heads and deputy heads of urban, rural and enterprise survey teams in various provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions are managed by the National Bureau of Statistics with the assistance from statistical agencies of local governments at the corresponding levels.

The staff size of the department statistical system as well as their personnel is managed by the department concerned.

　　3. Budget Management

All budget of the National Bureau of Statistics and the operational budget for statistical programs of local government statistical agencies are appropriated by the central government form the State budget and managed by the National Bureau of Statistics. The administrative budget for local statistical agencies comes form the local governments, and their expenses for capital investment are also arranged by local governments. Budget for rural, urban and enterprise survey organizations and their local branches is allocated by the National Bureau of Statistics. All the expenditures for the department statistical system is covered and managed by departments concerned.

IV. Environment for Statistical Surveys

　　1. Statistical Units in Enterprises and Institutions

Enterprises and institutions may, in light of the needs of statistical work, establish statistical units. Some units are independent, while other are established under different functional agencies. In small enterprises, there are full-time or part-time statisticians and in some cases, chief statisticians are appointed. These statistical units or statisticians are under the guidance of the statistical agencies of the local governments or township statistical stations (statisticians) in statistical operation.

Statistical units or statisticians of enterprises and institutions are engaged in the execution of comprehensive statistics in the corresponding organizations. Their major responsibilities include:

　　a. To organize and coordinate statistical work of organizations concerned and accomplish assigned tasks in national, local and department statistical survey as well as collect, process and provide statistical data;

　　b. To make statistical analysis of and exercise statistical supervision over th production and operation of organizations concerned;

　　c. To manage the statistical data of organizations concerned, establish and improve the system of statistical accounting and statistical records in collaboration with functional departments and related personnel.

　　2. Government leadership and Public Cooperation

The Chinese government exercises leadership over statistical undertakings in the following aspect: a. Issuing administrative decrees to ensure stability and independence of statistical agencies and to protect their independent rights in carrying out statistical activities. b. Providing financial resources for government and department statistical systems. c. Coordinating the activities of various government departments and organizations an organizing and mobilizing individual citizens and legal entities to support and cooperate with the government in major censuses or in major reforms of the statistical system.

The Chinese government also devotes major efforts to publicize the significance of statistical work amongst the public, popularize elementary statistical knowledge, promote the awareness of citizens and legal entities of their obligation to report statistical information as well as their responsibility in case of violation of statistical laws. Various mass media like radio and TV programs, newspapers and journals are employed in publicity campaigns. As a result, Citizens and legal entities alike show a high degree of support and cooperation in Statistical activities.

Web site of NBS: http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/