Add: 13 Xichang'anjie, Beijing. Post code: 100804. Tel: 66014249. Fax: 62016362.
The formation of the new Ministry of Information Industry was announced by Luo Gan, state councilor and secretary general of the State Council in a speech on the Plan for Institutional Restructuring of the State Council delivered at the First Session of the Ninth National People's Congress on 6 March 1998.
The Ministry of Information Industry will consolidate the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications and the Ministry of Electronics Industry. Its responsibilities include: revitalizing the electronics information manufacturing industry, communications, and software industry and promoting computerization of the national economy and social services; drafting trade plans, policies, and regulations; working out overall plans for the state's main communications network (which includes local and long-distance telecommunications network, radio, and television networks), special telecommunications network for the ordnance industries and other departments, and exercising management over trade; and rationally distributing resources, avoiding duplication, and ensuring the safety of information. The government functions over information and network management of the Ministry of Radio, Film, and Television, Aerospace Industrial Corporation, and Aviation Industrial Corporation will be merged into the Ministry of Information Industry. The State Post and Telecommunications Bureau will be set up and be under the management of the Ministry of Information Industry.
The Ministry of Information Industry (MII), as a
unit directly under the State Council, is mainly in
charge of the national electronics and information
products manufacturing, telecommunications and
software industries, information promotion of the
national economy and social service.
I. Reshuffle of Functions
Under the principle of separating administrative
and enterprise management functions and breaking
monopoly, MII's main functions have been readjusted.
A. Functions Transferred to Other Departments:
1. The administrative function in postal service and
corporate function in postal network construction
and management, transferred to the State Postal
Bureau.
2. The corporate function of building and managing
state telecommunication trunk line network,
transferred to the telecom enterprises or enterprise
groups.
3. The function of managing industrial, materials and
building enterprises, delegated to enterprises.
B. Functions Changed
1. The administrative function of the former State
Radio Regulatory Commission and its General
Office.
2. The administrative function of the former State
Leading Group of Information Industry and its
General Office.
3. The administrative function of the former Ministry
of Radio, Film and Television in the overall
planning of radio and television transmission
network (including cable TV network), industrial
management, and organization and formulation of
technological system and standards of radio and
television transmission network.
4. The administrative function of the former Space
Corporation and Aviation Industry Corporation in
drawing up development plans and technological
standards of Telecommunication and Broadcasting
Satellite Network.
5. The function of the former Commission of Science,
Technology, and Industry for National Defense in
coordinating the satellite orbit position
domestically.
6. The function of the former State Planning
Commission in the management of public
telecommunication service charge and formulation
of basic telecommunication service charge standard.
II. Main Functions:
After the reshuffle, the main functions of MII are
to:
1. Study and formulate the state's information industry
development strategies, general and specific policies,
and overall plans, revitalize the electronics and
information products manufacturing,
telecommunications and software industries, promote
the information economy and society.
2. Draw up laws, rules and regulations on electronics
and information products manufacturing,
telecommunications and software industries, and
publish administrative rules and regulations; and
supervise the enforcement of laws and administrative
rules.
3. Make an overall planning of the state public
telecommunications network (including local and
long-distance telecom network), radio and television
network (including broadcasting and cable television
network), and special telecommunications networks
of military and other departments, and be responsible
for industrial management concerned.
4. Work out technical policies, systems and criteria of
the electronics and information products
manufacturing, telecommunications and software
industries, and technical systems and criteria of the
radio and television transmission networks;
certificate the entry of telecom networking equipment
to networks and manage the entry of telecom
terminal equipment to networks; direct the
supervision and management of electronics and
information products quality.
5. Allocate and manage the radio frequency resources,
satellite orbit positions, telecom network code,
domain and web site resources; examine and approve
the establishment of radio stations, and monitor,
supervise and manage radio operations, organize and
conduct radio control according to law, coordinate the
handling of interference from radios and safeguard
the air electromagnetic wave order.
6. Supervise the telecom and information service
markets according to law, examine and approve
telecom and information service licenses, supervise
service quality, ensure fair competition and general
service, and safeguard the interests of the state and
customers; draw up regulations on the
interconnection and settlement of various telecom
networks and supervise their implementation.
7. Work out policies of charging telecom and
information service and fee standards for basic postal
and telecom services, and supervise their
implementation.
8. Organize planning, construction and management
of special telecom networks for the party and
government organs; manage the state telecom
network supervision and control center and state
telecom inlet and outlet bureau; organize and
coordinate the urgent telecom for disasters and other
important telecom; guarantee the state telecom and
information security.
9. Guide and support the development of information
industry, direct the readjustments in product mix and
industry and enterprise structures, reorganization of
state-owned enterprises and establishment of
enterprise groups, according to the industry policy
and technological development policy; allocate
resources rationally and guard against duplicated
construction.
10. Propel the research and development of electronics
and information products manufacturing,
telecommunications and software industries,
organize research of major scientific and
technological development projects, and digestion,
absorption and creation of imported technologies,
and promote the industrialization of scientific and
technological research results; support the
development of native industry.
11. Manage the military electronics industry, study and
propose development strategies and programs,
general and specific policies of military electronics
industry, which are required to dovetail with the
development programs of the military and the
Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for
National Defense, and organize their implementation.
12. Study and draft the information economy
development plan, assist enterprises in launching key
information projects; direct, coordinate and organize
the development and utilization of information
resources; direct the promotion and application of
electronics and information technologies and the
spread and education of information technology.
13. Organize and direct the financial tabulation,
delivery and appropriation and settlement of major
postal and telecom enterprises; coordinate economic
relations between postal and telecom enterprises and
issue subsidies to postal service and common
telecom service according to regulations concerned;
manage officials of the ministry and units directly
under the ministry within the jurisdiction.
14. Participate in related international organizations,
sign inter-governmental agreements, organize
economic and technical cooperation with foreign
countries, and handle inter-governmental telecom
and information business in behalf of the state.
15. Study telecom and information policies involved in
Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and handles related
business.
16. Release industrial statistics and information.
17. Handles other business as prescribed by the State
Council.
MII also administers the State Postal Service Bureau.
III. Internal Setup
The Ministry of Information Industry has set up
13 departments to perform the above functions:
1.General Office:
It handles the daily routines in the ministry,
coordinates the work involving all the departments and
organizes meetings of the ministry; releases
information, handles public relations, documents,
archives, security, complaints from the people, internal
fiscal affair, state-owned assets and other
administrative work.
2.Department of Policies, Laws and Regulations
It studies and works out comprehensive policies
and key reform plans; organizes the drafting of laws
concerning the information industry, supervises the
enforcement of laws and administrative rules, draws up
opening-up policies concerning telecommunications;
studies policies concerning telecommunications and
information with Hong Kong Special Administration
Region, Macao and Taiwan, and handles
telecommunication affairs involving Hong Kong,
Macao and Taiwan.
3. Department of Comprehensive Planning
It studies and draws up development strategies
and long- and middle-term development plans for
electronic products manufacturing, telecommunications
and software industries, coordinates the construction of
basic telecom networks, computer information
network, radio and television networks and various
special telecom networks, and promotes the public
network and special network, services and
manufacturing industries to develop coordinately;
allocates resources rationally and prevents duplicated
construction; manages construction funds within the
state budget according to regulations concerned;
directs import of technology, use of foreign investment,
and joint ventures and cooperation with foreign
investors; organizes the formulation of
telecommunications and information network
construction and designing standards, and conducts
macroeconomic control of the network construction
market; releases industrial statistics and other
information.
4.Department of Science and Technology
It traces and studies the development trend of
international information technology, and formulates
scientific and technological development plans and
technological policies; organizes and coordinates the
formulation of technology system standards for public
telecommunication network and network numbering
plans; organizes the formulation of technology system
and standards for radio and television transmission
networks; coordinates the implementation of key
scientific research projects and promotes the
industrialization of scientific research results;
supervises the quality of electronic and information
products and managing electronics and information
technology standards and measuring.
5. Department of Economic Reform and Operation
It studies and draws up enterprise reform plans,
directs the reform, reorganization, renovation and
management of enterprises, and coordinates the
solving of key problems in the reform of enterprise;
formulates policies and measures for developing large
enterprises and enterprise groups and directs state-
owned enterprises to carry out strategic reorganization;
monitors and analyzes economic operation; makes
forecasts of annual development targets; exercises
macroeconomic control of electronic and information
products market; and coordinates the management of
electronics and information products import.
6. Telecommunications Regulatory Bureau
It studies and draws up telecommunications
development plans, polices and measures, supervises
and manages the telecom and information services
according to law, maintains fair competition,
guarantees common services and defends interests of
the state and users; examines and approves telecom
and information service licenses; supervises service
quality and prices; works out regulations on the
interconnection and settlement of various telecom
networks and supervises their implementation;
allocates and manages telecom network code
resources; manages the domains and web sites of
Internet and related international coordination; codifies
interconnection standards of telecom networking
equipment and manages the entry of telecom terminal
equipment to networks; organizes and coordinates the
construction and management of special telecom
networks for party and government organs, manages
the state telecom network supervision and control
center, state telecom inlet and outlet bureau, and
Internet security supervision and control center;
commands and coordinates the urgent telecom for
disasters and other important telecom; organizes the
research of state telecom network and information
security problems and proposes solutions.
7.Department of Economic Regulations and Telecom
Business Settlement
It carries out policies, laws and regulations on
management of state-owned assets and finance and
accounting regulations, draws up telecom finance rules
and supervises their implementation; studies and
formulates rules and regulations concerning the
financial tabulation, delivery and appropriation and
settlement of major postal and telecom enterprises;
coordinates economic relations between postal and
telecom enterprises and issues subsidies to common
services and postal services according to regulations
concerned; works out policies of charging telecom and
information services and fee standards for basic postal
and telecom services; manages the state budgetary
funds.
8. Department of Economic and Information Products
Management
It studies and formulates long- and middle-term
development plans, polices and measures for
electronics and information products manufacturing
and software industries; directs readjustment in
product mix; organizes and coordinates the
development and production of key system equipment,
microelectronics and other capital products, the
localization of accessory equipment, elements and
devices, instruments and materials for key state key
projects; compiles industrial investment guidebooks,
and directs the promotion and application of electronic
and information technologies.
9. Special Electronic Equipment Bureau (or Military
Electronics Bureau)
It is in charge of the management of military
electronics industry.
10. Department of Information Promotion (or General
Office of State Information Promotion)
It studies and formulates development plans on
promoting information economy and society, provides
guidance to all regions and industries in the area;
assists enterprises in launching key information
projects; organizes, coordinates and propels the
development of national software industry; studies and
formulates policies and measures concerning the
development of information resources, directs and
coordinates the development and utilization of
information resources and development of information
security technology; and propels the spread and
education of information technology.
11. Radio Regulatory Bureau (or General Office of
State Radio Regulatory Commission)
It formulates plans on radio frequency resources
and develops and uses frequencies rationally; manages
radio stations and supervises radio operations,
coordinates the handling of interference from
electromagnetic wave and safeguards the air radio
wave order; organizes and conducts radio control
according to law; coordinates satellite orbit
positioning; participates in related international radio
conferences and manages foreign-related radio
activities.
12. Department of Foreign Affairs
It organizes the participation in international
information technology organizations; organizes and
coordinates the signing of inter-governmental
agreements and their implementation, and handles
inter-governmental telecom and information business;
studies policies involving the economic and
technological cooperation with foreign nations in
information industry, and manages the international
cooperation and exchanges concerned; examines,
approves and manages projects abroad, delegations
and people to foreign visit.
13. Department of Personnel
It manages personnel, makes forecasts about the
requirements, plans and trains professionals in
information sector, imports brains, organizes exchange
of personnel and assessment of professionals; manages
the size of staff and units directly under the Ministry,
and their wages.
The ministerial Party Committee is in charge of
the party and mass work of MII and Beijing-based
units directly under MII.
IV. Leading Positions and Size of Staff
The Ministry of Information Industry is manned
by a staff of 320 people. Leading positions include one
minister, four vice ministers and 45 departmental
leaders (including one full-time deputy secretary of the
ministerial Party Committee).