Overseas Chinese Affairs Office Explained

Overseas Chinese Affairs Office
Native Name:国务院侨务办公室
Preceding1:Committee of Overseas Chinese Affairs
Headquarters:35 Fuchengmenwai Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
Chief1 Name:Chen Xu
Chief1 Position:Director
Chief2 Name:Xu Yousheng
Chief2 Position:Deputy Director
Parent Department:United Front Work Department
Child1 Agency:Chinese Overseas Exchange Association
Status:External name of the United Front Work Department

The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council (OCAO) is an external name of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Prior to 2018, OCAO was an administrative office under the State Council of the People's Republic of China responsible for liaising with and influencing overseas Chinese as part of its united front efforts.[1] [2] Due to the 2018 party and government reform in China, OCAO was merged into the UFWD, with its functions being taken up by the department. Under the arrangement "one institution with two names", UFWD reserves the name "Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council", generally used when dealing in public statements and dealing with the outside world.[3]

History

OCAO's forerunner, the Committee of Overseas Chinese Affairs, was established in 1949; He Xiangning, the wife of Liao Zhongkai, served as its first head from October 1949 to April 1959, after which her son Liao Chengzhi took over the position of head until the abolishment of the office in June 1970. Upon the establishment of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office in 1978, Liao Chengzhi also became its first head. Liao Chengzhi's son Liao Hui also joined the office as vice-director in 1983, and was promoted to director in May 1984.[4]

In 1990, OCAO and China News Service personnel were dispatched to the U.S. to found SinoVision and The China Press to counter negative perceptions of the Chinese government following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.[5]

OCAO has focused on technology transfer through agreements with professional associations in science and technology fields such as the Silicon Valley Chinese Overseas Business Association (SCOBA).[6] [7] OCAO also oversees the Chinese Overseas Exchange Association (COEA), which sponsored annual "Discovery Trips to China for Eminent Young Overseas Chinese".[8]

In October 2016, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection reported deficiencies in the CCP's control over OCAO.[9] In March 2018, it was announced that the OCAO and its functions, such as China News Service, would be merged into various internal bureaus of the United Front Work Department as well as the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, with the OCAO remaining as an external name of the UFWD.[10] In a 2022 ruling, a Canadian court stated that OCAO "engages in covert and surreptitious intelligence gathering”.[11] [12] Canada has subsequently deported and barred OCAO agents from entry.[13]

Function

OCAO is tasked with conducting overseas Chinese (OC) affairs work or qiaowu. According to academic James To:

Administration

Directors

NameChinese nameTook officeLeft office
He XiangningChinese: 何香凝19491959
Liao ChengzhiChinese: 廖承志19591983
Liao HuiChinese: 廖晖1984August 1997
Guo DongpoChinese: 郭东坡August 1997January 2003
Chen YujieChinese: 陈玉杰January 2003April 2007
Li HaifengChinese: 李海峰April 2007March 2013
Qiu YuanpingChinese: 裘援平March 2013March 2018
Xu YoushengChinese: 许又声March 2018October 2020
Pan YueChinese: 潘岳10 October 202024 June 2022[14]
Chen XuChinese: 陈旭24 June 2022Incumbent[15]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: To, James Jiann Hua . Qiaowu: Extra-Territorial Policies for the Overseas Chinese . 2014-05-15 . BRILL . 978-90-04-27228-6 . 48, 75–76 . en . 2020-02-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200729120612/https://books.google.com/books?id=KGe7AwAAQBAJ . 2020-07-29 . live.
  2. To . James . December 1, 2012 . Beijing's Policies for Managing Han and Ethnic-Minority Chinese Communities Abroad . . en . 41 . 4 . 183–221 . 10.1177/186810261204100407 . 1868-1026 . free.
  3. Web site: 中共中央印发《深化党和国家机构改革方案》_中央有关文件_中国政府网 . 2022-12-29 . . 2019-02-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190215125408/http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/2018-03/21/content_5276191.htm#1 . live .
  4. Book: Bo, Zhiyue. China's Elite Politics: Political Transition and Power Balancing. 2007. World Scientific Publishing. 978-981-270-041-4. 165–166. 608890457. 2023-03-22. 2023-08-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20230826212122/https://books.google.com/books?id=ltxoDQAAQBAJ. live.
  5. Book: Diamond . Larry . China's Influence and American Interests: Promoting Constructive Vigilance . Schell . Orville . 2019-08-01 . Hoover Press . 978-0-8179-2286-3 . 106, 107, 120 . en . 1104533323 . Larry Diamond . Orville Schell . September 4, 2022 . live . 2020-05-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200528122006/https://www.hoover.org/research/chinas-influence-american-interests-promoting-constructive-vigilance .
  6. Book: Hannas . William C. . Chinese Industrial Espionage: Technology Acquisition and Military Modernisation . Mulvenon . James . Puglisi . Anna B. . 2013-06-14 . . 978-1-135-95261-7 . 80–100 . en.
  7. Web site: Fedasiuk . Ryan . Weinstein . Emily . July 21, 2020 . Overseas Professionals and Technology Transfer to China . live . en-US . . 10.51593/20190038 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201108213109/https://cset.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/CSET-Overseas-Professionals-and-Technology-Transfer-to-China.pdf . 2020-11-08 . 2020-11-08 . free .
  8. News: Worthington. Brett. 10 September 2019. Gladys Liu admits to membership of Guangdong Overseas Exchange Association. ABC News. 8 November 2020. 12 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201112030548/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-11/gladys-liu-admits-to-association-with-guangdong-association/11501088. live.
  9. Web site: 14 October 2016. 中央第八巡视组向国务院侨务办公室党组反馈专项巡视情况. live. https://archive.today/20190422050831/http://www.ccdi.gov.cn/special/zyxszt/dshilxs_zyxs/fgqg_xs10_zyxs/201610/t20161021_88326.html. 22 April 2019. 2020-11-08. Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. zh.
  10. News: Joske . Alex . Alex Joske . May 9, 2019 . Reorganizing the United Front Work Department: New Structures for a New Era of Diaspora and Religious Affairs Work . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190721191900/https://jamestown.org/program/reorganizing-the-united-front-work-department-new-structures-for-a-new-era-of-diaspora-and-religious-affairs-work/ . July 21, 2019 . 2019-07-27 . . en-US.
  11. News: Bell . Stewart . Cooper . Sam . January 26, 2022 . Canadian government report accuses China of widespread campaign of espionage, manipulation . 2022-08-02 . . en-US . 2022-08-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220802174908/https://globalnews.ca/news/8537707/canadian-government-report-china-espionage-manipulation/ . live .
  12. News: Young . Ian . 24 February 2022 . Overseas Chinese Affairs Office harms Canada with espionage, court rules . . 3 April 2022 . 2 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220402110109/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3168151/overseas-chinese-affairs-office-engages-espionage-harms-canada . live .
  13. Web site: Bell . Stewart . January 29, 2024 . Woman ordered deported over Chinese foreign interference . 2024-01-30 . . en-US.
  14. News: October 22, 2020 . Environmental czar to lead Overseas Chinese Affairs Office as director . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20210304165128/https://hk.appledaily.com/news/20201022/2J4MELQ54BFGBGGJQVJZFJKHHI/ . March 4, 2021 . November 8, 2020 . Apple Daily.
  15. News: June 24, 2022 . 陈旭任国务院侨务办公室主任 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712081210/http://www.gqb.gov.cn/news/2022/0624/54267.shtml . July 12, 2022 . July 30, 2022 . gqb.gov.cn.

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