China will set up a national service federation for charity organizations and continue to develop legislation for the sector as it struggles to reach a consensus on several issues, an official of the Ministry of Civil Affairs told a press conference Wednesday at the ongoing legislative session.

Dou Yupei, vice minister of civil affairs, said that a national coordinating charity federation will be established to promote self-regulation in the sector.

Dou said the new federation is in response to the loosening of regulations on the registration of charity organizations. They no longer need to first gain approval of the corresponding department in their field and can register directly with civil affairs authorities.

Liu Zhouhong, secretary-general of Narada Foundation, told the Global Times that the planned federation should not be affiliated with the government.

"I don't want to see the federation become a regulatory body," said Liu. "It should give voice to organizations it represents. Government-backed charity institutions do not perform independently nor are they transparent. I don't want to see it happens to this one."

Peng Jianmei, director with China Charity & Donation Information Center, told the Global Times that the new federation is the first national organization, which is not a regulatory authority, to provide services to the charity sector.

"It neither stands for the interest of government nor the charity organizations," said Peng. "It's a nationwide service-provider. Although it doesn't have law enforcement power, it serves charity institutions, for example, by tackling conflicts and establishing standards within the sector."

Dou said the ministry is working on legislation to cover the charity sector and will make proposals to the State Council to standardize administrative regulations.

"We are pushing forward the legislation to solve current problems. We also submitted an appeal to the State Council to use regulations to solve existing problems of the charity sector," Dou said.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs began promoting legislation for the charity sector in 2005. The State Council put it on its legislative agenda the next year and the National People's Congress also made it a part of its legislative plan in 2008.

Dou said a consensus still has not been reached among stakeholders in the sector and the planned legislation is still being researched.

Wang Zhenyao, former head of the ministry's department of social welfare and charities, and current director of Beijing Normal University's One Foundation Philanthropy Research Institute, told the Global Times that the lawmakers are not fully informed of the issues facing the charity sector and China doesn't have a coordinating body.

"Consensus is difficult because we don't have an administrative body or a charity committee that is attached to the State Council or the National People's Congress," said Wang.