The Foreign Affairs Office is a functional department of Municipal People’s Government and an executive organ of the Foreign Affairs Leading Group of CPC Municipal Committee, also concurrently the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Municipal Government. Its main functions are:

1. To implement the State’s principles and policies, laws and regulations in foreign affairs, overseas Chinese and Hong Kong and Macao Affairs and put forward concrete measures for their implementation; study the situations in foreign affairs, overseas Chinese, Hong Kong and Macao affairs in the municipality and provide related information and make proposals to the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government.

2. To coordinate and regulate foreign affairs activities and international relations in the municipality; assist Municipal leaders in their exchanges with foreign countries; administer friendship municipality and city relations with foreign counterparts and handle the twinning applications for approval to the higher authorities; undertake the routine work of the Foreign Affairs Leading Group of CPC Municipal Committee.

3. To exercise centralized management on the overseas travels on public affairs and the issuance of invitations and visas to foreign nationals to visit the municipality; regulate the exchanges and relations of the public affairs with Hong Kong and Macao in the municipality.

4. To be responsible for the reception of important foreign visitors, overseas Chinese and Hong Kong and Macao compatriots; oversee protocol arrangement in foreign affairs; participate in the acceptance of major donations from foreign government, friendly personages, overseas Chinese and Hong Kong and Macao compatriots.

5. To coordinate and regulate the exchanges between various organizations in the municipality and foreign embassies and consulates in China; Administer overseas NGO activities in the municipality and handle emergency events concerning foreign countries and nationals in the municipality and overseas Chinese in foreign countries in cooperation with relevant departments; coordinate visits and interviews of foreign journalists in the municipality.

6. To undertake activities concerning foreign affairs, overseas Chinese and Hong Kong and Macao affairs on behalf of the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government; coordinate overseas Chinese and Hong Kong and Macao affairs activities of related departments and institutions in the municipality; protect the legal rights and interests of the returned overseas Chinese, family members of the overseas Chinese, foreign nationals of Chinese origin and Hong Kong and Macao compatriots in accordance with related laws and regulations; assist relevant departments in the personnel arrangement for the representatives of returned overseas Chinese and family members of overseas Chinese.

7. To guide and coordinate the contacts and exchanges with overseas Chinese, foreign citizens of Chinese origin from the municipality and their organizations and promote economic, technological, cultural and educational exchanges and cooperation with them.

8. To perform other tasks given by the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government.