China Moves Powerful Think Tank Under State Academy Amid Reform Push

1. China’s influential think tank, the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), has undergone a major restructuring as it was transferred from the supervision of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). Officials described this move as part of a broader effort to reform the country’s think tank system, reflecting a strategic realignment within China’s policy research landscape. The CCIEE, established nearly 17 years ago, was previously well-known for its close connections to high-level policymakers and retired officials.[para. 1][para. 2]

2. The official transition was confirmed at a January 17 meeting in Beijing chaired by CASS President Gao Xiang. The Ministry of Civil Affairs approved the transfer, changing the center's supervisory authority from the NDRC to CASS. This decision was shared through an official post on CASS's social media platform the next day. Such a transfer is indicative of the government's drive to reorganize and potentially centralize the management of influential policy research institutions.[para. 3]

3. In parallel with the supervisory shift, the leadership at CCIEE has also been restructured. Ma Yuan, a deputy secretary-general of CASS, is now the center’s Communist Party chief, and other top party and disciplinary roles have been assumed by officials from CASS. This change in personnel aims to align CCIEE more closely with CASS’s priorities and structures.[para. 4]

4. Officials presented the restructuring as an element of a centrally-directed initiative to deepen reforms in China’s think tank system and ensure that these institutions contribute more effectively to “Chinese-style modernization.” CASS has pledged to strengthen political management, enforce tighter discipline, and quicken institutional reforms at CCIEE as part of this effort.[para. 5]

5. CCIEE was founded in 2009 in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and quickly established a reputation as a high-level, quasi-official think tank. It was led by former Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan and gathered a group of influential retired officials and economists. The roster of such high-profile names earned it a status as one of China’s top advisory bodies.[para. 6][para. 7]

6. Uniquely, CCIEE was categorized as a “social think tank”—neither fully embedded within the government nor part of a university—under a 2015 national initiative to create “new-type Chinese think tanks.” Its work initially focused on analyzing the repercussions of the global financial crisis for China and later expanded to global economic governance, macroeconomic policy, and support for major initiatives like the Belt and Road.[para. 8][para. 9]

7. CCIEE played a notable role in the conceptual development of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). High-level discussions at CCIEE led to proposals that ultimately influenced President Xi Jinping’s 2013 formal announcement and the 2015 launch of the AIIB. Beyond research, the center facilitated international forums and “Track Two” dialogues between Chinese and foreign leaders, especially during periods of heightened global trade tensions.[para. 10][para. 11]

8. CCIEE also became known for its annual China Economic Forum, which followed the Central Economic Work Conference and served as an important indicator for the coming year’s economic policy trends in China.[para. 12]

9. Financially, CCIEE operated differently from fully state-funded think tanks, lacking a guaranteed government budget. Instead, it drew on multiple revenue sources, including a founding-support fund, government service procurement, membership fees, sponsorships, and income from commercial consulting through its subsidiary, China Economic Consulting Corp. This consultancy provided policy, strategic, and investment advice, mainly to local governments, leveraging its access to central ministries.[para. 13][para. 14][para. 15]

10. Many local governments were attracted to CCIEE’s services specifically because of its senior leadership’s strong connections with the NDRC. Unlike institutions reporting within the NDRC’s internal channels, CCIEE could submit recommendations directly to top national leaders. However, its funding model—especially the scale of its paid consulting projects for local governments—has come under increasing scrutiny. The change in supervisory authority to CASS is, in part, believed to address concerns about compliance and the management of commissioned projects.[para. 16][para. 17]

11. In the context of stricter regulations around the employment and compensation of retired senior officials, some previous senior CCIEE staff have returned substantial sums of pay to address compliance issues as the restructuring process unfolded.[para. 18]