Chinese Policy Documents Database

Introduction to the Chinese Policy Documents Database

This database presents a comprehensive collection of Chinese policy documents issued by the State Council and the Central Committee (incl. their general offices) over the past five years, spanning from January 2018 to January 2023. While the database only contains central level policy documents, it is important to note that policy documents are issued at each of China's five administrative levels (national, provincial, prefecture, county, and township) contributing to a complex and multifaceted governance system. However, the central level documents in this database provide guidance and direction for lower-level policy content, and lower-level documents often refer directly to the State Council or Central Committee policy documents.

The policy documents in the database originate from the authorities listed in Table 1. Some documents are co-published – typically a combination of the Central Committee general office and State Council general office.

Table 1: Overview of issuing authorities and the administrative functions
Issuing Authority	Description
国务院 (State Council)	The highest administrative body in China, responsible for implementing and overseeing the execution of laws and regulations at the national level.
国务院办公厅 (State Council Office)	The administrative office of the State Council, responsible for coordinating and implementing policies issued by the State Council.
中共中央 (Central Committee of the Communist Party of China)	The highest authority in the Communist Party of China, responsible for setting the direction and policies of the Party.
中共中央办公厅 (General Office of the Central Committee)	The administrative office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, responsible for coordinating and implementing Party policies.
中央军事委员会 (Central Military Commission)	The highest national defence organization in the People's Republic of China, which heads the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the People's Armed Police (PAP)

Coverage of Policy Areas

The database encompasses policy document types spanning a variety of crucial sectors and domains, including but not limited to:

Covid Policy
Education
Science and Technology Development
Economic Development
Administrative Management
Rural Development
Foreign Affairs
Party History Learning
Government Service
Fiscal Policy
Industry Reform
Leadership Development
Consumer Protection
Environment Protection
Birth Control
Cultural Development
Legislation
Party Discipline
Political Consultation
Health Policy
Youth Employment
Urbanization
Pension Reform
Party organization
Cadre management

The database consists of 1) pdf files containing the actual documents, and 2) excel sheets with lists of documents for each year (2018-2023). In the excel sheets you will find a “publication date”, which works as identifier for the pdf files. In addition, the excel sheets lists information on each document: issuing authority, document number (if any) and type, issue area, document tittle in Chinese and English as well as the online source of the document.

Types of Policy Documents

The database contains a wide variety of policy documents, each with its unique characteristics and functions. Some of the key types of policy documents include:

Table 2: Types of Policy Documents and Their Meanings
Type of Policy Document	Meaning
通知 (Notice)	Official communication or notification
意见 (Opinion)	Official viewpoint or recommendation
规定 (Provision)	Official regulations or stipulations
规划 (Plan)	Detailed strategies or blueprints
办法 (Measures)	Specific actions or procedures
决定 (Decision)	Authoritative determinations
条例 (Regulation)	Legal rules and provisions
令 (Decree)	Legal decrees and orders

The issuing authorities have varying preferences for different types of policy documents. For instance, the State Council tends to issue a wide range of document types, including Notices, Opinions, and Regulations. Meanwhile, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China focuses more on Rules and Regulations. The General Office of the Central Committee issues a diverse set of documents, covering a broad spectrum of policy types. Jointly issued documents by the Central Committee and State Council Offices encompass a comprehensive array of policy types.

State Council (国务院):

"国发" documents issued by the State Council include a variety of policy types such as Notices (通知), Opinions (意见), and Regulations (规定).
"国令" documents mainly consist of Regulations (规定), Decisions (决定), and Rules (规则).
"国函" documents are primarily related to Rules (规则) and Strategies (规划).

State Council Office (国务院办公厅):

"国办发" documents from the State Council Office encompass Notices (通知) and Opinions (意见).
"国办函" documents are mainly Notices (通知) and Opinions (意见).

Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央):

Documents issued by the Central Committee are primarily related to Rules (规则) and Regulations (规定).

General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央办公厅):

The General Office of the Central Committee issues a wide range of policy documents, including Opinions (意见), Notices (通知), Procedures (办法), Rules (规则), Decisions (决定), and Regulations (规定).

Joint Issuance by Central Committee and State Council Offices (中共中央办公厅国务院办公厅):

Jointly issued documents cover various policy types, including Notices (通知), Opinions (意见), Plans (方案), Procedures (办法), Rules (规则), Decisions (决定), and Provisions (规定).

Guofa 国法, guobanfa 国办发, guoling 国令, zhongfa 中发, and zhongbanfa 中办发 documents are all numbered seriatim. Often, when they are published in the news media such as Xinhua News, the numbers are deleted making it difficult to keep track of the numbering. In general, numbering is applied in relation to important document, whereas bulletins (gongbao 公报), notices (tonggao,通告), letters (han 含) normally do not carry numbers.

There are a special set of internal party documents dealing with internal party regulations and laws (fagui 法规). Among them are 211 internal party regulations formulated by the Central Committee, 163 regulations formulated by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the working organs of the Central Committee, and many more local party regulations formulated by party Committees of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government (Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing and Tianjin). Party committees below the provincial level cannot issue regulations related to internal Party organization.

Relationships and Implementation

Policy documents in the database are interrelated and often build upon each other. For instance, Five-Year Plans are China’s leading guidelines for economic and social development and are endorsed by the National People’s Congress (NPC) in March every 5th year, while being approved and discussed in October the previous year at the CCP Central committee plenary sessions. These Five-Year Plans cover all sectors of the economy as well as societal development. They function as guidelines for thousands of specific Five-Year Plans that are developed at lower levels and in relevant state organizations. The network of sub-plans is evolved over the entire five-year period, and are better thought of as a planning, coordination, and evaluation cycle rather than one decision. They are strong tool of policy coordination in a fragmented system. The plans can be separated into overall comprehensive plans, special or industry specific plans, and regional plans. Understanding these relationships and hierarchies is vital for comprehending China's policy-making process.

Party and State Documents

The database also highlights the differences between formal laws and regulations and policy documents. While regulations have the force of law and are legally binding, policy documents are in principle guidelines, recommendations, and directives. However, policies, directives, and documents issued by the Central Committee do have paramount authority and legal status. They guide law-making, governance, and implementation of laws and policies at all levels of government. The Party's decisions and directions are effectively the highest authority as they shape legislative and administrative actions.

The policies outlined by the party are typically implemented through laws, regulations, and other legal instruments by the State Council and the National People’s Congress (NPC), along with local governments and local people’s congresses. Legislative bodies at various levels will often enact, modify, or repeal laws and regulations to ensure alignment with Party policies and objectives. Most party documents serve as guidance, outlining broad policy goals, ideological principles, and developmental strategies, which are then operationalized through specific laws, rules, and administrative actions. However, while most Party policy documents are more directional and strategic, others can be specific and binding, with clear mandates and requirements for implementation by government agencies and officials. Overall, the legal instruments and administrative measures developed by the state are intended to reflect and operationalize the policies and objectives set forth by the Party.