Overseas Chinese Affairs Office

Not to be confused with the Taipei-based Overseas Community Affairs Council of the Republic of China, which was formerly known as the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission.

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]

Overseas Chinese Affairs Office

国务院侨务办公室
Agency overview
Preceding agency	Committee of Overseas Chinese Affairs
Status	External name of the United Front Work Department
Headquarters	35 Fuchengmenwai Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
Agency executives	Chen Xu, Director Xu Yousheng, Deputy Director
Parent department	United Front Work Department
Child agency	Chinese Overseas Exchange Association
Website	www.gqb.gov.cn

Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council
Simplified Chinese	国务院侨务办公室
Traditional Chinese	國務院僑務辦公室
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Guówùyuàn Qiáowù Bàngōngshì

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".^[6][8]

In October 2016, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection reported deficiencies in the CCP's control over OCAO.^[9][10] 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.^[9] 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

Further information: United front (China)

OCAO is tasked with conducting overseas Chinese (OC) affairs work or qiaowu. According to academic James To:^[2]

Qiaowu is ostensibly a comprehensive effort that seeks to maintain, protect, and enhance the rights and interests of the OC. Tasks include propagating OC policies, promoting OC affairs, researching their needs, and resolving their problems. In practice, however, qiaowu works to legitimise and protect the CCP's hold on power, uphold China's international image, and retain influence over important channels of access to social, economic and political resources both domestically and abroad. To achieve this, qiaowu is conducted in view of two aims: to attract the OC back into the fold of the Chinese nation-state, and to convey and project to them the nation-state agenda. Implicit in these objectives is the elimination of potential threats and rival discourses that may challenge the CCP.

— James To, Beijing's Policies for Managing Han and Ethnic-Minority Chinese Communities Abroad

Administration

As of June 2022, Chen Xu is the current director of OCAO, a position previously held by Pan Yue.^[14][15]

See also

• State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs
• Transnational repression by China

References

1. To, James Jiann Hua (2014-05-15). Qiaowu: Extra-Territorial Policies for the Overseas Chinese. BRILL. pp. 48, 75–76. ISBN 978-90-04-27228-6. from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
2. To, James (December 1, 2012). "Beijing's Policies for Managing Han and Ethnic-Minority Chinese Communities Abroad". Journal of Current Chinese Affairs. 41 (4): 183–221. doi:10.1177/186810261204100407. ISSN 1868-1026.
3. "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". Government of China. from the original on 2019-02-15. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
4. Bo, Zhiyue (2007). China's Elite Politics: Political Transition and Power Balancing. World Scientific Publishing. pp. 165–166. ISBN 978-981-270-041-4. OCLC 608890457. from the original on 2023-08-26. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
5. Diamond, Larry; Schell, Orville (2019-08-01). China's Influence and American Interests: Promoting Constructive Vigilance. Hoover Press. pp. 106, 107, 120. ISBN 978-0-8179-2286-3. OCLC 1104533323. from the original on 2020-05-28. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
6. Hannas, William C.; Mulvenon, James; Puglisi, Anna B. (2013-06-14). Chinese Industrial Espionage: Technology Acquisition and Military Modernisation. Routledge. pp. 80–100. ISBN 978-1-135-95261-7.
7. Fedasiuk, Ryan; Weinstein, Emily (July 21, 2020). "Overseas Professionals and Technology Transfer to China" (PDF). Center for Security and Emerging Technology. doi:10.51593/20190038. (PDF) from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
8. Worthington, Brett (10 September 2019). "Gladys Liu admits to membership of Guangdong Overseas Exchange Association". ABC News. from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
9. Joske, Alex (May 9, 2019). "Reorganizing the United Front Work Department: New Structures for a New Era of Diaspora and Religious Affairs Work". Jamestown Foundation. from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-27.
10. "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". Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (in Chinese). 14 October 2016. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
11. Bell, Stewart; Cooper, Sam (January 26, 2022). "Canadian government report accuses China of widespread campaign of espionage, manipulation". Global News. from the original on 2022-08-02. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
12. Young, Ian (24 February 2022). "Overseas Chinese Affairs Office harms Canada with espionage, court rules". South China Morning Post. from the original on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
13. Bell, Stewart (January 29, 2024). "Woman ordered deported over Chinese foreign interference". Global News. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
14. . gqb.gov.cn. June 24, 2022. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
15. . Apple Daily. October 22, 2020. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2020.

External links

• Official website