Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office is a working unit of Municipal Government, its main functions are:
　　(1) To implement and execute the Party’s and state guidelines, policies related to diplomats, overseas Chinese affairs and Hongkong and Macao, and laws and stipulations concerning foreign affairs, as well as Municipal Party Committee’s and Government’s instructions and decisions about works of foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs.
　　(2) To propound suggestions on setting up rules, regulations and working plans on municipal foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs; inspect conditions of relative units’ implementation of guidelines and policies on foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs and laws and stipulations concerning foreign affairs; audit municipal departments’ and units’ documents on foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs to be approved by Municipal Party Committee and Government; coordinate important municipal activities concerning foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs.
　　(3) To investigate and research modernization construction and opening to outside of Huai’an, provide suggestions and opinions for working decisions of Municipal Party Committee and Government on foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs; to utilize outward communication channels and overseas Chinese channels to serve economic construction and social development of Huai’an; to participate in promoting development of capital and talents introduction; to coordinate related units to protect legal rights and interests of foreign merchants, overseas Chinese, Chinese and Hongkong and Macao compatriots who invest in Huai’an, assist with handling economic disputes concerning foreigners and overseas Chinese.
　　(4) To undertake detailed issues of outside visits by leaders of Municipal Party Committee, Municipal People’s Congress, Municipal Government and Municipal People’s Political Consultative Conference, as well as inviting current municipal level cadres from other places; to be responsible for receiving state guests, Party guests and other important guests who come to visit; arranging foreign affairs activities of leaders of Municipal Party Committee, Municipal People’s Congress, Municipal Government and Municipal People’s Political Consultative Conference; to receive foreign diplomats in China who come to Huai’an for official affairs; to receive and manage foreign reporters who come to Huai’an for gathering news.
　　(5) To be responsible for auditing issues on going abroad for public affairs of economic, trade and scientific personnel of county division level and below; undertake detailed issues on reporting for approval for visiting foreign countries by leaders of Municipal Party Committee, Municipal People’ Congress, Municipal Government and Municipal People’s Political Consultative Conference and non-economic-and-trade teams; transact procedures of visiting foreign countries, including passports and visas, for teams and personnel who go abroad for public affairs; audit invitation issues for public expense received foreign official personnel who come to Huai’an for non-economic-and-trade activities and foreigners from non-diplomatic-relation countries.
　　(6) To be responsible for collecting and managing passports of Huai’an personnel who go abroad for public affairs and transit permits for Hongkong and Macao; to be responsible for educating personnel who go abroad for public affairs on foreign affairs policies and disciplines; to know and inspect activity conditions abroad of teams and personnel who go abroad for public affairs; periodically collect conditions of going abroad and inviting foreigners for public affairs, and give written reports to leading group of Municipal Foreign Affairs Work.
　　(7) To arrange and manage communication activities between Huai’an and foreign friendly cities and other friend units, transact procedures for reporting for approval on establishing relationships to foreign units; manage communication activities between departments and units in Huai’an and foreign consulates in Shanghai; to be responsible for guiding Huai’an departments’ and units’ reception work of foreign guests; do pioneering, adjustment and construction works of foreign affairs for visiting units together with related departments; carry out approval works for hotels, restaurants and residences concerning foreign affairs together with related departments; guide relative municipal departments or units to manage foreign experts and on training works of going abroad; handle important incidents involving foreign affairs together with relative departments; handle or assist with handling important issues involving management works of foreigners.
　　(8) To guide non-governmental foreign communication in Huai’an; administrate daily works of Huai’an People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
　　(9) To be responsible for educating cadres and personnel involved in foreign affairs on exterior policies and disciplines; to organize training for cadres of foreign affairs on exterior policies; seriously implement “Rules for personnel concerning foreign affairs”; coordinate disciplinary inspection, supervision and secrecy departments to inspect implementation of disciplines related to foreign affairs and secrecy system, and propound opinions and suggestions on handling violation of the disciplines to relative departments in time.
　　(10) To carry out unification and friendship works towards overseas Chinese and Hongkong and Macao compatriots, especially key figures, societies and new immigrants; to undertake works of auditing and reporting for approval which take carrying out works concerning overseas Chinese and Hongkong and Macao compatriots as main assignments; to assume works of auditing and reporting for approval which need to invite municipal leaders to meet famous overseas Chinese and Hongkong and Macao compatriots; to plan and coordinate works concerning overseas Chinese and Hongkong and Macao compatriots carried out by related departments and social groups.
　　(11) To Protect legal rights and benefits of returned overseas Chinese and dependants of overseas Chinese; carry out works concerning returned overseas Chinese and dependents of overseas Chinese; assist relative department with making personnel arrangement for representative figures of returned overseas Chinese, dependants of overseas Chinese and dependants of Hongkong and Macao compatriots.
　　(12) To take charge of residential works of overseas Chinese and Hongkong and Macao compatriots in Huai’an; to take charge of affairs, visits, letters and poverty support works concerning nationals living abroad; to guide, coordinate and serve donation from overseas Chinese and Hongkong and Macao compatriots, and carry out legal supervision and inspection.
　　(13) To carry out works towards Taiwan through overseas Chinese channels under guidance of state guidelines and policies concerning works towards Taiwan.
　　(14) To coordinate and assist propaganda department of Huai’an Party Committee with propaganda works towards foreign countries, overseas Chinese and Hongkong and Macao compatriots, and educational works on foreign affairs to the masses; according to documents and materials from the Party Central Committee, State Department and superior authorities, providing propaganda materials and statements about international trend, exterior policies, overseas Chinese policies and important international issues for departments in Huai’an; assist with auditing important report drafts concerning foreign countries and overseas Chinese, and other relative propaganda products; contact communication medias, cultural societies and Chinese schools of overseas Chinese and Hongkong and Macao compatriots, and support their works.
　　(15) To accomplish other reception tasks assigned by leading comrades of Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government timely.
　　(16) To guide works concerning foreign affairs and overseas Chinese affairs in counties (districts).
　　(17) To assume other tasks assigned by Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government and provincial operation administration departments.