According to the plans of restructuring departments under the State Council which have been approved by the Eleventh National People's Congress at its First Session, and the Circular of the State Council Concerning Organizational Structure (General Office of the State Council[2008] No.11), the Ministry of Culture is established as a department under the State Council.
Ⅰ. Adjustments to Responsibilities
1. Cancelled Responsibilities
The cancelled items of administrative examination and approval, which have been promulgated by the State Council.
2. Transferred Responsibilities
1.To transfer the responsibility of guiding the release and show of films to the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television.
2. To transfer the responsibility of regulating the wholesale, retail, rent, release and import of audio-visual products to the General Administration of Press and Publication.
3. New Responsibilities
1.To organize major international cultural exchange activities, formerly the Information Office of the State Council’s responsibility.
2.To administer the cartoon and animation industry (excluding the cartoons and animation in television and films, and the cartoons and animation programs broadcast through Internet), which was formerly the responsibility of the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television.
3.To regulate cartoon, animation and online games, plan related industries, construct industrial bases and projects, organize conferences and exhibitions, administer transactions and supervise market, which were formerly responsibilities of the General Administration of Press and Publication.
4.To coordinate in making plans for cultural market development, drafting policies, laws and regulations, and to guide comprehensive law enforcement of the cultural market.
5.To supervise organizations which are engaged in performance activities run by local people.
4. Enhanced Responsibilities
To promote public cultural service, guide the cultural development at a grass-roots level, and protect intangible cultural heritage.
Ⅱ. Main Responsibilities
1. To make guidelines for cultural and art-related policies and principles, draft cultural and art-related laws and regulations;
2.To make guidelines for cultural and art-related development plans and to organize, implement, and promote system reforms in the field of culture and art;
3. To guide and administer literary and artistic undertakings, guide artistic creation and production, promote the development of all kinds of art and to administer major national cultural activities;
4. To promote public service in the field of culture and art, plan and guide the production of public cultural products, guide the development of major national cultural infrastructure and cultural infrastructure at a grass-root level;
5.To make guidelines for cultural and art-related industry development plans, guide and coordinate the development of culture and art, promote communication and cooperation throughout the international cultural industry;
6.To make guidelines for intangible cultural heritage protection plans, draft related regulations and laws, organize and implement the protection of intangible cultural heritage and the inheritance and popularization of outstanding national culture;
7. To guide and administer the social culture industry, guide the development of libraries, cultural centers (stations) and grass-roots level culture;
8.To make guidelines for cultural market development plans, guide comprehensive law enforcement in cultural markets, exercise industrial supervision over cultural and art-related commercial operations, guide the supervision of organizations which are engaged in performance activities and run by local people;
9.To be responsible for the prior examination and approval of literary and artistic products on the Internet, regulate the licensing operations of Internet service business offices such as cyber bars, regulate online game service (excluding prior examination and the approval for the online publication of online games)
10.To make guidelines for the development of cartoon, animation and game industries and organize their implementation, guide and coordinate the development of cartoon, animation and game industries;
11. To make guidelines for the development of culture-related science and technology and advance the informatization construction of art-related science and technology;
12.To guide and administer international cultural exchange and communication, organize the stipulation of policies and regulations on international cultural exchange and cultural exchange with the Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR and the Taiwan region, instruct the work of cultural offices, cultural centers and cultural institutions under or related to Chinese Embassies and Consulates around the world, instruct the work of the Central Government’s representative offices in Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR, sign cultural cooperation agreements and programs with foreign countries on behalf of the State, and arrange for the implementation of major international cultural exchange activities at home and abroad;
13. To fulfill any other tasks assigned by the State Council.
Ⅲ. Other items
1. Administering the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
2. As regards the functional assignment of administration of cartoon and animation and online games, the Ministry of Culture is in charge of related industry planning, industrial bases, project construction, conferences, exhibitions, transactions and market supervision. The State Administration of Radio Film and Television is in charge of the administration of cartoon and animation in films and TV as well as cartoon and animation programs broadcast through Internet. The General Administration of Press and Publication of the People’s Republic of China is in charge of the administration of cartoon and animation in the publishing process and is responsible for the prior examination and the approval for the online publication and distribution of online games.
3. Items such as the setting up, responsibilities and staffing of institutions under the Ministry of Culture shall be stipulated separately.
