All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce

Established in 1953, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) is a people’s organization composed of China’s industrialists and businessmen under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and a non-governmental chamber of commerce. It is also a united front organization and a unit of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Before the country’s reform and opening up in 1979, the majority of ACFIC members had been people engaged in various types of economic and commercial activities. Over the past 30 years, with the development of the non-public sector of the economy, current ACFIC memberships are largely held by enterprises and individuals of the non-public sector.

With Beijing as its headquarters, ACFIC had 3,130 local chapters at the provincial, municipal and county levels, 23,993 grassroots chapters at the urban district, community and village levels, and 10,337 trade groups, by end of 2008. ACFIC had 2.33 million registered members nation wide, including 930,000 enterprises by end of 2008.

ACFIC has established ties with more than 400 groups, institutions, chambers of commerce and enterprises of over 100 countries and regions.

Since its establishment, ACFIC has had five chairmen: Chen Shutong, Hu Ziang, Rong Yiren, Jing Shuping, and Huang Mengfu.  

Major Functions of ACFIC:

√   Build communication channels between the government and the  non-public economy;

√   Assist the government in managing the non-public economy;

√   Participate in political consultation of national policies and strategies in politics, economy and social affairs;

√   Guide its members in technological innovation, management and culture for enhanced competiveness and capability in achieving sustainable development;

√   Represent the legitimate rights of its members and to extend their proposals and requirements to government;

√   Provide members with services in training, financing, technology, legal consultation and information, and to resolve the difficulties and problems they are facing;

√   Build closer relations with commercial and industrial counterparts overseas;

√   Help the members to go overseas for business opportunities and contribute to China’s opening-up program.