Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC)

Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC)

对外贸易经济合作部

Website: http://www1.moftec.gov.cn/

[In March 2003 MOFTEC was merged with the State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC) and the sections of the State Development Planning Commission (SDPC) to form the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM).]

Minister: Shi Guangsheng (until 2003)

MOFTEC replaced the former Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade (MOFERT) in 1993. Its stated responsibilities included:

Formulating strategies, laws, plans, policies, and regulations in foreign trade, economic cooperation, and foreign investment in line with international agreements
Reforming state-owned, trade-related enterprises along market lines; setting qualifications for firms to engage in trade, economic cooperation and investment abroad;
Regulating public bidding for import/export quotas; promoting e-commerce; promoting technology imports and exports; handling anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and assurance matters; managing chambers of commerce;
Guiding foreign investment in China and China's investment abroad; approving foreign-funded enterprises and projects; managing national absorption of foreign investment;
Overseeing related project contracting, labor service and consulting services abroad;
Negotiating economic and trade cooperation with other governments and related international organizations; managing foreign aid;
Selecting national, foreign trade-development funded projects; managing financial affairs and accounting in foreign trade and economic cooperation.

MOFTEC was divided into the following departments:

Department of General Office
Department of Personnel Resources
Department of Foreign Economic and Trade Policy
Department of Planning and Finance
Department of Asian Affairs
Department of West Asian and African Affairs
Department of European Affairs
Department of American and Oceanian Affairs
Department of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau Affairs
Department of International Trade and Economic Affairs
Department of Foreign Trade
Department of Mechanic and Electric Products Import and Export
Department of Foreign Investment
Department of Foreign Aid
Department of Foreign Economic Cooperation
Department of Science and Technology
Department of Treaty and Law
Protocol Department

EXPORT CONTROLS

MOFTEC had nominal jurisdiction over all exports and had the authority to regulate all foreign trade activities. It was responsible for issuing broad-based trade laws governing China's export controls, such as the 1994 Foreign Trade Law. MOFTEC's principal role in the export control process was to review and issue export licenses. Its Science and Technology Division normally participated in formal and informal interagency discussions with military organizations and the MFA about sensitive technology exports, regardless of whether they involved nuclear, chemical, or military items. In the nuclear and chemical areas, however, the State Atomic Energy Agency or the Chemical Industry Administration took the lead in vetting export applications, and then referred them to MOFTEC. MOFTEC issued a license if an export application was approved. In addition, companies which wanted to export controlled dual-use technologies (e.g. nuclear dual-use) were required to register with MOFTEC.

Updated 11/19/2003

This material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2007 by MIIS.