Main Responsibilities of Foreign Affairs (Overseas Chinese Affairs) Office of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional People’s Government

I. To implement the guidelines and policies, laws and regulations on foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs by the Party and the state as well as the directions and decision on foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs by Xinjiang Party Committee and Government, work out policies, laws and regulations, development plan and programs on foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in conformity with legal provisions, and organize the implementation.

II. Research the major issues about foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs, understand and master the working situation of foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs; coordinate important activities of and involving foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; with responsibility for handling or assisting to handle important activities involving foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; with responsibility for the office of foreign affairs leading group under Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Party Committee.

III. With responsibility for management of people going abroad (exit) temporarily for a business trip: review and approve or review as required the issues regarding the people going abroad (exit) temporarily for a business trip and the visitor(s) invited from foreign countries (overseas) and Hong Kong or Macao; with responsibility for the foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs involving Taiwan.

IV. With responsibility for reception of state guests, Party’s guests and other important foreign guests, the important people from Hong Kong, Macao, and important overseas Chinese and Chinese; for reception of foreign diplomatic personnel stationed in China who come to Xinjiang for governmental activities and foreign journalists coming to visit; for overall arrangement of foreign affairs and external association activities for the leadership at Xinjiang provincial-level.

V. Undertake the passport and visa formality for the people traveling abroad in line of duty in whole Xinjiang, and the visa notice, letter and telegram for the visitors invited as well as the business of consular identification; with responsibility for managing foreign official or semi-official organization stationed in Xinjiang, and jointly with other organizations concerned for handling important case involving foreign interests and other important issues involving foreigner management; with responsibility for alien management.

VI. With responsibility for Xinjiang’s international intercourse and intercourse with Hong Kong and Macao; organize (or participate in organizing) and coordinate international intercourse and cooperation activities in whole Xinjiang; with responsibility for contacting foreign embassies and consulates stationed in China, and institutions of international organizations stationed in China, contacting Chinese embassies and consulates stationed in foreign countries and other institutions functioning abroad, striving for international aids.

VII. With responsibility for establishing friendly relation between Xinjiang and the province(s), state(s), cities (counties) of foreign countries, managing and directing intercourse between sister cities and other nongovernmental external intercourses.

VIII. With responsibility for the work relating to frontier delimitation, location of boundary and joint inspection as well as routine boundary management, and jointly with the department concerned to perform border management and border construction concerning foreign affairs; directing and participating in border-defense talks and meetings; with responsibility for surveying neighboring countries’ situation, intercourse with neighboring countries, and handling the affairs concerning neighboring countries; with responsibility for the office of Xinjiang Border Defense Committee.
With responsibility for opening, construction, management and coordination of all ports.

IX. With responsibility for managing the issues concerning foreign experts, students, interns and foreign personnel in three types of foreign-funded enterprises (i.e. contractual joint ventures, cooperative ventures and solely foreign-funded enterprises) in Xinjiang; assist the departments concerned in foreign intellectual introduction and overseas training.

X. To provide the departments and units in Xinjiang with publicity materials and unity of external pronouncement regarding international situation, external policy and important international issues according to the pertinent regulations for central government; cooperate with and assist the departments concerned in publicity to foreigners and overseas Chinese, cultural exchange and public education on foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs in Xinjiang.

XI. With responsibility for policy and operation guidance to the institutions of foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs at different levels in Xinjiang; organize the training for the officials of foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs in Xinjiang; with responsibility for evaluating the professional title of translator and interpreter in Xinjiang.

XII. With responsibility for or assist the departments concerned in donation from international, foreign institutions and personnel, overseas Chinese, Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao; assist the departments concerned in the foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs such as introducing foreign capital, overseas Chinese capital, technology and persons with ability, developing overseas market, promoting external economic and technological cooperation etc. for the purpose of serving economic development; directing and promoting the establishment of enterprises belonging to or funded by overseas Chinese, and providing service jointly with the departments concerned.

XIII. Make friendly contact with overseas Chinese, Chinese and their associations as well as compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao; protect the lawful rights and interests of returned overseas Chinese and their family members in accordance with law, and protect the lawful rights and interests of overseas Chinese jointly with the departments concerned; with responsibility for coordinating the settlement of overseas Chinese in Xinjiang.

XIV. With responsibility for logistics and service to all Chinese embassies stationed in the countries neighboring Xinjiang according to the entrustment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

XV. With responsibility for coordinating the departments of disciplinary inspection, supervision, national security and secrecy in inspection of discipline for foreign affairs and implementation of national security and secrecy protection systems, advancing timely the opinions and suggestions to the departments concerned on dealing with infringement of discipline for foreign affairs.

XVI. Undertake any other business assigned by Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Party Committee and People’s Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the central departments concerned.

Procedures to be Followed

I. ID card of foreign personnel
1.  Item to be transacted: validation document of expert, ID card of foreign personnel
2. Reference for transaction: relevant documents by State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, the P. R. of China
3. Object of application: foreign experts of long-term work in Xinjiang
4. Conditions of transaction: required qualification for long-term foreign experts according to the relevant documents by State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, the P. R. of China
5. Procedure for examination and approval: reviewed by local office of foreign affairs and education department jointly before submitted to Xinjiang Bureau of Education and Xinjiang Office of Foreign Affairs for examination and approval according to pertinent regulations
6. Time limit of transaction: three working days
7. Materials to be submitted: documents verified by Education Bureau and local office of foreign affairs, CV of foreign expert, and copies of applicant’s academic credentials and the contract.

II. Procedure of foreign students
1.  Item to be transacted: application form of foreign student for visa coming to China
2. Reference for transaction: relevant documents by State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, the P. R. of China
3.  Object of application: foreign students to study in Xinjiang
4.  Conditions of transaction: required qualification for foreign students according to the relevant documents by State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, the P. R. of China
5.  Procedure for examination and approval: reviewed by local office of foreign affairs and education department jointly before submitted to Xinjiang Bureau of Education and Xinjiang Office of Foreign Affairs for examination and approval according to pertinent regulations
6.  Time limit of transaction: three working days
7.  Materials to be submitted: documents verified by Education Bureau and local office of foreign affairs, CV of foreign student, and copies of applicant’s academic credentials and application for studying abroad