1. To formulate the strategies, guidelines and policies of developing domestic and foreign trade and international economic cooperation, draft the laws and regulations governing domestic and foreign trade, foreign investment in China, foreign assistance, overseas investment and foreign economic cooperation, devise relevant departmental rules and regulations. To study and put forward proposals on harmonizing domestic legislations on trade and economic affairs as well as bringing Chinese economic and trade laws into conformity with multilateral and bilateral treaties and agreements. To study the development trends of economic globalization, regional economic cooperation and modern distribution patterns and give proposals. 2. To advance the structural readjustment of distribution industries, guide the reform of distribution enterprises, the development of commercial and trade services, as well as community commerce, put forward policies and proposals for promoting the small and medium-sized enterprises in commerce and trade areas, and promote distribution standardization and such modern distribution modalities as chain store operation, franchising, logistics and e-commerce. 3. To formulate development plans for domestic trade, foster and develop urban and rural markets, study and put forward the policies guiding domestic and foreign capital to flow to the development of a market system, to guide the program of bulk commodities, retail markets and the planning of urban commercial networks, guide the construction of the commercial system, advance rural market system construction, and organize and implement modern rural distribution networks. 4. To lead the coordination work for rectifying and standardizing market economy order, formulate policies for standardizing market operation and distribution order, promote credit building in commerce sectors, give guidance to sales based on business credit, construct public service platforms based on market credibility, and supervise and administer the special distribution industries according to relevant rules. 5. To organize the adjustment of market of major consumer goods and regulation of the distribution of major means of production, institute an emergency management mechanism for the market supply of life necessities, monitor and analyze market activities and commodity supply and demand, study and analyze the commodity information to make forecasts, issue early warnings and provide guiding information. To be responsible for important consumer goods reserve management and market regulation in line with its assignments. To supervise and regulate refined oil distribution in accordance with relevant regulations. 6. To come up with plans, policies and standards of drug distribution, promote restructuring of the drug distribution industry, guide the reform efforts of drug distribution businesses and advance the development of modern drug distribution modalities. 7. To work out measures for the regulation of import and export commodities and processing trade, and compile catalogues of import and export commodities and technologies. To draft polices and measures for facilitating the transformation of foreign trade growth pattern. To organize the implementation of import and export quota plan of important industrial products, raw materials and important agricultural products. To work with other ministries and commissions to coordinate the import and export of bulk commodities, guide trade promotion activities and the development of the foreign trade promotion system. 8. To draft and execute policies concerning trade in technology, export control and policies encouraging the import and export of technology and complete set of equipment; to push forward the establishment of foreign trade standardization system. To supervise technology introduction, equipment import, export of domestic technologies subject to state export restriction, and to issue import and export licenses pertaining to national security issues such as nuclear non-proliferation in conformity with laws. 9. To lead the efforts to draft development plans for trade in services and carry out relevant work, work with other ministries and commissions to formulate and enforce the plans and policies for promoting services export and services outsourcing development. To facilitate the construction of services outsourcing platforms. 10. To formulate multilateral and bilateral (including regional and free trade area) trade and economic cooperation strategies and policies, be responsible for multilateral and bilateral negotiations on trade and economic issues, coordinate domestic positions in negotiating with foreign parties, and to sign the relevant documents and monitor their implementation. To establish multilateral and bilateral intergovernmental liaison mechanisms for economic and trade affairs and organize the related work. To handle major issues in country (region)-specific economic and trade relationships, regulate trade and economic activities with countries without diplomatic relationship with China. In line with the mandate, to handle the relationship with the World Trade Organization on behalf of the Chinese government, undertake such responsibilities under the framework of the WTO as multilateral and bilateral negotiations, trade policy reviews, dispute settlement, and notifications and inquires and to coordinate trade and economic activities with foreign parties. 11. To organize and coordinate the work pertaining to antidumping, countervailing, safeguard measures and other issues related to fair trade for import and export. To institute a fair trade early warning mechanism for import and export and organize foreign trade investigations and industry injury investigations in compliance with law. To guide and coordinate domestic efforts in responding to industry security inquires and foreign antidumping, countervailing, and safeguard investigations. 12. To give general guidance to nationwide efforts in foreign investment. To draw up and enforce foreign investment policies and reform schemes. To examine and approve, according to relevant laws, the establishment and changes thereafter of foreign-invested enterprises. To verify the contracts and statutes of large-scale projects with foreign investment and their major subsequent changes particularly stipulated in relevant legislations. To supervise and inspect the enforcement of laws, regulations, contracts and statutes by foreign-invested enterprises and coordinate the solution of relevant issues. To guide investment promotion and the approval of foreign-invested enterprises and regulate foreign investment attraction activities. To guide the work of state-level economic and technological development zones, Suzhou Industrial Park and border economic cooperation zones. 13. To be responsible for China's foreign economic cooperation efforts. To formulate and implement policies on foreign economic cooperation, guide and monitor overseas project contracting and labor service cooperation in accordance with laws, promulgate policies governing the overseas employment of Chinese citizens, and take the lead in protecting the rights and interests of Chinese citizens providing labor services or taking up jobs overseas. To work out administrative measures and specific policies guiding China's outward investment and approve Chinese companies to invest in and set up overseas establishments (excluding financial companies). 14. To be in charge of China's efforts in providing aid to foreign countries and regions. To formulate and implement China's foreign aid policies and plans, facilitate the reform on foreign aid provision modalities, compile foreign aid programs, select foreign aid projects and organize their implementations. To manage funds in the nature of China's official foreign assistance, the grant aid provided to China through multilateral and bilateral channels (excluding the grants provided by foreign governments and international financial institutions under the framework of fiscal cooperation) and other development cooperation programs. 15. To formulate and implement economic and trade plans and policies with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HK SAR), the Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR) and the Taiwan region. To hold economic and trade talks and sign relevant documents with the competent authorities in charge of trade and economic affairs in HK SAR, Macao SAR and the Taiwan region. To be in charge of the commercial and trade liaison mechanisms between the mainland and HK SAR and Macao SAR. To organize the direct trading activities with Taiwan, and deal with bilateral and multilateral trade issues involving Taiwan. 16. To launch anti-monopoly investigations on the concentration of undertakings, guide Chinese companies' response to monopoly allegations overseas and carry out bilateral and multilateral exchanges and cooperation on competition policies. 17. To steer the work of the commercial branches of China's permanent missions to the WTO, to the UN and other relevant international organizations, as well as Chinese embassies in foreign countries, providing guidance to their work, and training and selecting the staff. To keep in touch with the representative offices of multilateral and international economic and trade organizations in China and the commercial functions of foreign diplomatic missions in China. 18. To undertake other assignments entrusted by the State Council.