There are a large number of mass organizations in China, which carry out their activities independently in accordance with the Constitution and the law. Subordinate units of these organizations are distributed in the cities and rural areas, serving to unite workers, young people, women and other persons of all walks of life nationwide. They participate in national and local political life and play an important role in coordinating social and public affairs and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the people.

Major social organizations in China are as follows:

All-China Federation of Trade Unions: This mass organization is the supreme leading body of all the local trade union organizations and national industrial union organizations in China. Founded in May 1925, it currently has 103.996 million members. The current Executive Committee chairman is Wang Zhaoguo.

All-China Youth Federation: Founded in May 1949, this federation comprises all the youth organizations in China, including the Communist Youth League, All-China Students' Federation, All-China Young Men's Christian Association, All-China Young Women's Christian Association, Chinese Association of Young Entrepreneurs, and Chinese Association of Young Township Entrepreneurs, Chinese Association of Young Scientists and Technicians, Beijing Association of Young Editors and Reporters, Chinese Youth Volunteers Association, Chinese Youth Association for Industrial Promotion and Development, Chinese Youth Research Society, Youth Federation of Organizations Directly Under the Central Authorities, Youth Federation of the Central State Organizations, National Civil Aviation Youth Federation, along with the youth federations of the individual provinces, autonomous regions, and centrally administered municipalities. Founded in May 1922, the Communist Youth League of China, with a current membership of 68.71 million of China's advanced youth, is the core organization. The current Central Committee first secretary is Zhou Qiang.

All-China Women's Federation: Founded in April 1949, this mass organization was founded to get women from all ethnic groups and all walks of life united to fight for women's further emancipation. The All-China Women's Federation works hard for the protection of women's rights and interests, including political rights, labor employment rights, property rights, cultural and educational rights, and personal rights, as well as marriage and family rights, and special rights related to their physiological characteristics. The Fifth Session of the Seventh National People's Congress passed the Law on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests in April 1992, signaling that China's work on safeguarding women's rights and interests had entered a new stage defined by law. The current Executive Committee chairwoman is Peng Peiyun.

All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce: Founded in October 1953, this people's association organized by people in industry and commerce functions as a non-governmental chamber of commerce for promoting business people's domestic and overseas ties. Its current Executive Committee chairman is Huang Mengfu.

The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries: Founded in May 1954, the Association aims to promote friendship and mutual understanding between the Chinese people and those in other countries. On behalf of the Chinese people, it contacts friendly organizations and individuals in other countries and develops mutual exchanges, providing a bond of friendship linking the Chinese people with people throughout the rest of the world. Its present President is Qi Huaiyuan.

Apart from the above-mentioned social organizations, there are many others including China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Chinese Writers Association, All-China Journalists Association, China Association for Science and Technology, All-China Federation for Returned Overseas Chinese, and China Disabled Persons' Federation.

-- All-China Federation of Trade Unions

The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) is a mass organization of the Chinese working class led by the Communist Party of China and formed by the workers and staff members on a voluntary basis. It is a bridge and bond linking the Party and the masses of the workers and staff members, an important social pillar of the state power of the country, and the representative of the interests of the trade union members and workers and staff members.

The Chinese trade unions were founded on the basis of the development of the workers' movements. Soon after the establishment of the Communist Party of China on July 1921, a liaison office of workers was set up. All-China Federation was formally set up in Guangzhou on May 1, 1925. Under the guidance of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought and under the leadership the CPC, the Chinese workers forged the closest alliance with the broad masses of peasants and, together with other patriotic and democratic forces, carried out unrelenting struggles for national independence and the liberation of the people, and won the thorough victory of the new democratic revolution. After the founding of the PRC in 1949, the working class has become the masters of the country, built up a contingent of well-educated and self-disciplined workers with lofty ideals and moral integrity, earnestly strengthened professional ethics, and vigorously launched activities to build spiritual civilization among workers and as a result they performed great historical feats for the establishment of the socialist system and scored tremendous achievements in the socialist construction. Since the Third Plenum of the 11th CPC Central Committee, the Chinese working class, has emancipated its minds, pressed ahead with reform and opening-up and modernization drive. The working class, keeping the overall situation in mind and with a high sense of responsibility of the masters of their own affairs, has promoted a sustained, rapid and sound growth of the national economy and social progress in an all-round manner.

The Chinese trade unions extensively develop friendly relations with trade union organizations of various countries on the basis of the principles of independence, equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. Now the Chinese trade unions have established relations with more than 400 national trade union centers of over 140 countries.

The Eleventh National Congress of the Chinese trade unions convened in October 1988, put forward that the Chinese trade unions should center on economic construction, and better express and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of workers as well as keep the overall interests of the Chinese people in mind on the primary stage of socialism, and therefore, the Chinese trade unions should exercise the following social functions:

(1) to protect the legitimate interests and democratic rights of the workers and staff members, (2) to mobilize and organize the workers and staff members to take part in the construction and reform and accomplish the tasks in the economic and social development, (3) to represent and organize the workers and staff members to take part in the administration of the State and social affairs and to participate in the democratic management of enterprises, (4) to educate the workers and staff members to constantly improve their ideological and moral qualities and raise their scientific and cultural levels.

The principle of reform adopted by the Chinese trade unions is to take economic construction as their central task, carry out the various social functions of the trade unions in line with the guiding principle of reflecting and safeguarding concrete interests of the workers and staff members in a better way while safeguarding the overall interests of the people throughout the whole country, and, united with the broad masses of workers and staff members, strive for the realization of China's socialist modernization.

The grand objective of reform adopted by the Chinese trade unions is to build the Chinese trade unions into independent, democratic and dependable mass organizations of the working class led by the CPC, and get them to play an important role in social life.

The main contents of reform adopted by the Chinese trade unions are further to identify the social functions of the trade unions, smooth the relations between the trade unions and the CPC, the government, and industries and institutions respectively so as to enhance vigor and vitality of trade unions at grass root level, strengthen the relationship between trade unions and the broad masses, reform the organizational and activity forms of trade unions and make trade unions work in a more democratic manner.

The Chinese trade unions apply the organizational principle of combing leadership along industrial lines with that on a locality basis. Now, under the leadership of ACFTU, there are 31 federations of trade unions of provinces, autonomous region and municipalities directly under the Central Government and 16 national industrial unions including the Railway Workers' Union, the Civil Aviation Workers' Union, the Seamen's Union, and the Postal and Telecommunications Workers' Union. The Chinese trade unions are led by the CPC; and lower trade union organizations shall ask for instructions from and report on their work to the higher trade union organizations.

The supreme power organ of the Chinese trade unions is the National Congress of Trade Unions. It is convened once every five years. The 13th National Congress of the Chinese Trade Unions was held in October 1998. Composed of 258 members, the Executive Committee is the power organ when the national congress is not in session, and it elects the chairman, vice-chairmen of the Executive Committee and members of the Presidium, thus forming the Presidium. When the Executive Committee is not in session, the Presidium comprising 37 members exercises its power. The Secretariat is set up under the Presidium and consists of a first secretary and a number of members who are elected from among the members of the Presidium. The Secretariat takes care of the routine work of the ACFTU.

The successive leaders of the Chinese trade unions are as follows:

 All-China Women's Federation

Founded on April 3, 1949, the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) is a mass organization united by women from various ethnicities and circles for the further liberation of women. The ACWF acts as a bridge and bond linking the CPC,the government and the masses of women, and one of the most important social pillar of the state power of the country, and the representative of the interests of the trade union members and workers and staff members.

After the establishment of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee set up ministry of women in 1922 to better guide women's movements. Xiang Jingyu was then the minister. With the development of the China's revolution, later on consecutively established Women's Liberation Association, Women's Association for National Salvation and Women's Federation. These organizations and groups had played an active role in the revolution. The First National Congress of Women throughout the country was convened in Beiping (today's Beijing) in March 1949. It is at this congress that the Chinese Democratic Women's Federation was formally established. Its purpose stipulated at the congress is to unite women workers and staff members of all ethnic groups, women farmers and intellectuals, and all patriotic Chinese women supporting socialism and reunification of the motherland with the broad masses of the Chinese people to fight against imperialism, feudalism and capitalism and to strive for the founding of a unified people's republic of China as well as to protect women and children's rights, organize women to vigorously participate in the social construction, achieve women's liberation and promote equality between men and women. The Second National Congress of the Chinese women's federations, held in April 1953, defined the main task of the women's movement: to continually educate and organize women to participate in the construction in industries and agriculture produce, and to bring women's ability into full play. The Third National Congress of the Chinese women's federations held in September 1957, decided to rename the federation as All-China Women's Federation and defined its fundamental principle that women's federation shall build up the country through hard work and frugality and strive for socialist construction.

Its Fourth National Congress held in 1978 after the Cultural Revolution was over, put forward the slogan of four modernization needs women and women need four modernization and the work of federations were back to normal. The fifth congress in 1983 defined the task of the federations. It shall unite women of all ethnic groups from all walks of life, implement and abide by the Constitution and relevant laws to protect the legitimate rights and interests of women and children, care and educate children, bring women's ability into full play in the economic development and spiritual civilization and work hard to make themselves authoritative mass organizations in representing, protecting and educating women and children.

The basic function of the Chinese women's federations stipulated at its sixth congress is to represent and protect women's rights and interests, and to promote equality between men and women. It shall unite and educate women and implement the basic line of the CPC, play an active role in building china into a prosperous, democratic, civilized modern socialist country, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests and promote the liberation of women. And its main tasks are as follows: (1) to unite and mobilize women to participate in economic construction and promote social development; (2) to educate women to improve the qualities in an all-round way and promote more women talents; (3) to represent women to participate in social and political consultation, democratic management and supervision, formulation of law, rules and regulations regarding women and children and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of women and children; (4) to serve women and children by strengthen the ties with all circles of the society and promoting pragmatic and good deeds done for women and children; and (5) to consolidate and expand the great unity of women of all ethnic groups and from all walks of life, to promote the modernization drive and the reunification of the motherland; to vigorously develop friendly exchanges with women in foreign countries, and enhance understanding and friendship to safeguard world peace.

The ACWF practices an organizational system of local women's federations and group members. The local women's federations at various levels are set up according to the state administrative divisions. Women workers' committees of trade unions in factories, mines and enterprises, and those at upper levels are all group members of the ACWF. At present there are about 60,000 federations at or above the township and neighborhood level, 980,000 women's representatives' committees and women's committees at the grassroots-level, and about 5,800 local group members at various levels. The highest power organ of the ACWF is the National Women's Congress held every five years. The Standing Committee is the leading organ when the Executive Committee is not in session. Under it there is the Secretariat, made up of the First Member and several Members who are elected by the Standing Committee and in charge of the daily work. The ACWF has the Human Resources Department, Women Development Department, Rights and Interests Department, Publicity Department, Children Department and International Liaison Department.

The successive leaders of the All-China Women's Federation are as follows:

The honorary chairwoman of the first Executive Committee of the ACWF is He Xiangning, and its executive chairwoman is Cai Chang. The second and third honorary chairwomen are Soong Qingling and He Xiangning, chairwoman Cai Chang. The fourth honorary chairwomen are Soong Qingling, Cai Chang and Deng Yingchao, chairwoman Kang Keqing. The fifth chairwoman is Kang Keqing. The sixth honorary chairwoman is Kang Keqing and chairman of the sixth and seventh Cheng Muhua. Chen Muhua is the present honorary chairwoman and Peng Peiyun is the present chairwoman of the Executive Committee of the ACWF.

 All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce

Founded in November 1953, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce is a non-governmental chamber of commerce under the leadership of the CPC. An organization of united front, it was formed by the CPPCC to serve as a political pillar for the socialist construction.

The business circles participated in the preparatory meeting and the first plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in 1949. Late Premier Zhou Enlai put forward the proposal of establishing the Chinese federation of industry and commerce in October 1951, and the next year a preparatory committee was set up. The Organic Regulations of the Chinese Federation of Industry and Commerce promulgated by the Government Administrative Council in August 1952 stipulated the essential component of the Chinese federation of industry and commerce and its fundamental tasks.

The first member meeting of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce convened in October 1953 demonstrated its formal establishment. Since its establishment, All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce conscientiously participated in the discussion over the general line in the transitional period, and formulation and implementation of principles and policies guiding national economic construction. The Federation united with the vast numbers of industrialists and businessmen, and played an active role in consolidating the people's democratic dictatorship, restoring the development of national economy, and carrying out the socialist transformation of the capitalist industry and commerce. Since the reform and opening up, the Federation has been following the Party's basic line of "one central task and two basic points", and upholding the glorious tradition of "being patriotic, devoted, and law-abiding". Much work has been done for training and bringing up a contingent of leading figures of non-public ownership economy and for encouraging and guiding the development of non-public ownership economy.

The fourth and fifth member meeting of the federation, convened consecutively in 1979 and 1983, revised its constitution and defined its tasks in the new period. The federation shall unite and organize all its members work hard for the realization of the socialist modernization, return of Taiwan to the motherland by strengthening the ties with Taiwan, Hongkong and Macaw Compatriots and overseas Chinese, and friendship with foreign counterparts as well, and vigorously participating in the reform and opening to the outside. The sixth member meeting in 1988 further defined the nature of the federation. It is a non-governmental chamber of industry and commerce featured by united front, non-government and economy.

The federation practices an organizational system of local according to the state administrative divisions. The highest power organ of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce is the National Congress held every five years, and the congress may be called earlier or later when necessary. The Executive Committee, the leading organ when the congress is not in session, is in charge of implementation the resolutions of the congress and on behalf of the federation. The executive committee elects a chairman, several chairmen, a secretary-general and several members who form a standing committee. The Standing Committee exercises the functions and powers reports its work to the executive committee and when the latter is not in session. The highest power organs are local congresses or member meetings of local federations of industry and commerce at various levels. By the end of 2002, there are about 3,062 federations at or above the township and neighborhood level, 1,180,394 group members at various levels.

The successive leaders of the federation and their terms of office are as follows:

Its previous leaders were Chen Shutong (Oct.1953-Feb. 1966), Hu Zi'ang (Oct.1979-Apr.1988) Rong Yiren, Wang Guangying, and Jing Shuping. Its current chairman is Huang Mengfu.

 The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

Founded in May, 1954, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries is a nationwide non-governmental organization of the People's Republic of China.

The Chinese People's Association for Cultural Exchanges with Foreign Countries was founded on May 3, 1954 and renamed as the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries on October 14, 1969. The association called its seventh executive council nationwide in Beijing in May 1998 and worked out new constitution. President Jiang Zemin, Premier Zhu Rongji and Vice-Premier Qian Qichen and other leaders were present to the meeting.

Since its establishment, the Association has always aimed to promote friendship and mutual understanding between the Chinese people and those in other countries, to promote exchanges and cooperation in politics, economy, trade, science and technology, culture, education and other fields to safeguard world peace. On behalf of the Chinese people, it contacts friendly organizations and individuals in other countries and develops mutual exchanges, providing a bond of friendship linking the Chinese people with people throughout the rest of the world. Its activities have obtained support and endowment from the government and all circles of the society. By the end of 1998, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Other Countries has established friendly relations or contacts with 364 organizations and groups from 115 countries. With the coordinative management of the association, China has established 881 cities with friendly relations with their counterparts in foreign countries. The Association has 378 branches in all the provinces and autonomous regions. The association has also set up 40 special branches including China-Russia, China-Japan, China-US and China-Africa to strengthen friendly relations with foreign countries and meet their development, and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries is in charge of daily work of those special branches.

The Chinese Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries has the following major tasks:

To develop friendly and cooperative relations with the peoples throughout the rest of the world and exchange visits with friendly organizations and groups;

To promote cultural exchanges between peoples and exchange exhibits;

To assist parties concerned to promote cooperation in fields of economy, education, and science and technology with foreign countries;

To launch movement for supporting just struggle of peoples throughout the world tom safeguard world peace;

To memorize world celebrities of letters, revolutionists and foreign friends who had made great contributions to China's revolution and construction;

To grant the title of friendly ambassador to our foreign friends on behalf of the Chinese people;

To organize seminars or symposium to introduce national conditions of foreign countries or on how to promote friendly relations between China and foreign countries, and to celebrate major festivals of all the countries;

To coordinate and manage work of establishing friendly cities with foreign countries;

To be in charge of daily work of those special societies; and

To develop other activities which are conducive to the promotion of mutual understanding and friendship between China and foreign countries.

The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries is located in Beijing. The Association has branches in all the provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government and even in some cities, municipal districts and counties.

The Association is composed of advisors, chairman, vice-chairmen, secretary-general, vice secretary-general and members.

 China Federation of Literary and Art Circles

The China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC) is the highest organ of power in China that coordinates and manages over 40 affiliated organizations of art and literature at the national level. The collective membership of over 80,000 outstanding artists and writers makes CFLAC the largest alliance of such kind in and outside China. As a nationwide association of artists in China, CFLAC was set up in the July of 1949. The CFLAC practices a system of member groups. It currently has 46 group members including Chinese Writes Association, Chinese Dramatists Association, Chinese Dancers Association, and Chinese Photographers Association.

Organic structure of the CFLAC

The highest power organ of the CFLAC is the National Congress and the Standing Committee elected by the Congress. One Chairman and several Vice-Chairmen elected by the Standing Committee form the Presidium. Under it there is the Secretariat that is in charge of the daily work and sets up special offices when necessary.

Major tasks of the CFLAC

The CFLAC abides by the Constitution and laws as well as the basic line of the party, adheres to the orientation of serving the people and socialism and the principle of Let a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend, devotes itself to developing and prospering Chinese art and literature and strive for the development of spiritual socialist civilization and the achievement of socialist modernization under the leadership of the CPC.

In the past forty years, the CFLAC has conducted all kinds of activities for the art industry such as art exhibitions, academic symposia and forums to intensify communication in cultural circles. The CFLAC also encourage and organize writers and artists to visit and make research in villages, industries and mining enterprises, army and border areas in order that they can keep in touch with the broad masses and create more excellent and popular works.

To uphold the Central Government's policy of "Let a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend" by extending the reach of its members' art and literature works to the general public, the CFLAC along with the various associations boasts over forty literary and artistic publications with a nationwide circulation, including newspapers.

The CFLAC protects the legitimate rights and interests of its members according to law, improve their work and living conditions, and help solve their problems in time. The CFLAC extensively develops exchanging activities with their foreign counterparts and actively promotes exchanges between its various member associations and their foreign counterparts.

The funds of the CFLAC not only comes from state allocations and membership dues, but also from the revenue generating by its business arms like the publication houses, audio-visual press and even travel agents and hostels.

 All-China Journalists Association

The predecessor of the All-China Journalists Association was Chinese Association of Young Journalists founded in Shanghai on November 8, 1937. With the leadership of the CPC, All-China Journalists Association has had a glorious history of 64 years up to now. As a nationwide non-governmental organization, the association enjoys a prestigious reputation in China and the world as a whole. It has 223 local journalists associations and more than 550,000 people pursuing a journalistic future. With the development of journalism, the association plays an increasingly role in domestic affairs and international exchanges, unites people pursuing a journalistic future extensively, develops friendly relations with journalists from more than 100 countries and regions, and has made contributions to the development of journalism in China.

 China Association for Science and Technology

China Association for Science and Technology is a mass organization of people engaged in science and technology under the leadership of the CPC. It serves as a bridge and bond linking the Party, the government and scientists and technicians and an important force giving impetus to the development of science and technology in China.

The predecessor of the China Association for Science and Technology was China Federation of Science and China Society of Popular Science. China Association for Science and Technology was formally founded in September 1958 when the first national congress of scientists and technicians was convened. The association today has 167 national institutes and 31 provincial associations with the purpose of promoting the development of science and technology and their application as well as more than 4,300,000 members.

The China Association for Science and Technology aims at adhering to Marxism and Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the basic line of the CPC, and as well as the philosophy of Science and technology is the first productive force, implementing the strategies of sustainable development and rejuvenating the Nation by science and technology, promote development and prosperity of science and technology and its application as well, improving the qualities of scientific and technological talents to serve the development of economy and spiritual civilization. In addition, the other purpose of the association is to transmit opinions of scientists and technicians, and protect their legitimate rights and interests.

The Association has the following major tasks:

To develop academic exchanges, make lively academic thinking and promote development of branches of learning;

To advocating scientific spirit, popularize scientific knowledge, spread scientific thinking and methods; to safeguard scientific dignity, extend and apply advanced technologies, conduct activities for youth scientific and technological education to uplift scientific and cultural qualities of the whole nation;

To transmit opinions and requests of scientists and technician, protect their legitimate rights and interests, organize them to participate in formulation of relevant policies and laws and political consultation of state affairs;

To commend and reward excellent scientists and technicians, and recommend talents;

To conduct scientific research and provide consultancy, put forward policy proposals, promote the transformation of science and technologies and accept projects of evaluation and appraisal in the corresponding field;

To promote international exchanges in science and technology, and develop friendly relations with foreign counterparts; and

To develop further education and training programs.

The China Association and its various affiliated associations have taken part in more than 240 international non-governmental organizations of science and technology, and over 100 Chinese scientists hold a leading post in some organizations. The China Association for Science and Technology keeps a good exchanging and cooperative relationship with organizations and groups of science and technology in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.