China unveils cabinet reshuffle plan

2018-03-13
Xinhua

BEIJING — China on March 13 unveiled a massive cabinet reshuffle plan to make the government better-structured, more efficient, and service-oriented.

The institutional reform plan of the State Council was submitted to the on-going first session of the 13th National People’s Congress for deliberations.

State Councilor Wang Yong briefed the lawmakers on the plan.

There will be 26 ministries and commissions of the State Council after the reshuffle. Among the new entities are a ministry of natural resources, a ministry of veterans affairs, and a ministry of emergency management.

There will also be new administrations, such as an international development cooperation agency, a state immigration administration, and a banking and insurance regulatory commission. Compared with the current setup of cabinet administrations, the number of ministerial-level entities is reduced by eight and that of vice-ministerial-level entities by seven.

Wang said the reform, focusing on institutional restructuring in key areas, will strengthen the government’s functions on economic management, market supervision, social management, public service, and ecological and environmental protection.

“It focuses on the needs of development and meets the people’s expectations,” Wang said, adding that the restructuring forms part of a broader plan by the Communist Party of China to deepen the reform of the Party and state institutions.

He said the cabinet reshuffle deals with the institutional obstacles to help the market play a decisive role in resource allocation. The reshuffle will also help China build a modern economy with high quality growth.