(1) At the central level, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is subordinate to the People’s Committee and is known as the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs. In counties and provinces, it operates under the guidance of the Presidium of the Executive Committee and is called the Ministry of Internal Affairs; however, no such ministry is established at the district level.

(1) Ministries of Internal Affairs at all levels are administratively directly subordinate to their higher-level counterparts, maintaining a direct hierarchical relationship and strictly executing the orders of their superior ministries. At the same time, they are guided by the presidiums of the corresponding local governments, creating a dual-line structure. Within each ministry, an Internal Affairs Committee may be formed, consisting of three to nine members.

(3) The minister of a lower-level Ministry of Internal Affairs, after being elected by the congress of soviets at that level, must submit his or her appointment for approval by the higher-level Ministry of Internal Affairs.

(4) For the time being, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is responsible for managing municipal affairs, the people’s police, criminal justice, detective work, public health, transportation, postal and telecommunications services, food supply, social security, household registration surveys, and the registration of births, deaths, and marriages. Under the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs, the following temporary departments are established: (b) the Administrative Bureau; (c) the Public Health Administration; (d) the Transportation Administration; (e) the Social Security Administration; and (f) the Postal and Telecommunications Administration.  (Note 1) The administrations for public health, transportation, postal and telecommunications services, social security, and food supply are temporary bodies set up pending the formal establishment of separate ministries in these fields. Until then, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will temporarily assume responsibility for these functions.  (Note 2) Health departments (or sections) within city soviets, districts, counties, and provinces will not yet be established. For the time being, health sections will be set up under the Ministry of Internal Affairs; however, responsibility at the district level will rest with the presidium. City soviets, districts, counties, and provinces must establish separate departments (or sections) for food supply, which will operate under the direction of the Central People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs.

(5) At the county and provincial levels, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will have only administrative, municipal, transportation, health, and social security sections. City soviets will maintain an administrative section to oversee the people’s police and concurrently handle criminal investigation duties. Larger cities may also establish a municipal section. The administrative section will manage matters related to the municipal police and criminal investigations.

(6) In addition to the minister and deputy minister, the central ministry will appoint six bureau directors to head its various administrations. Provinces will appoint five section chiefs—responsible for administration, municipal affairs, transportation, health, and social security. Counties will have only one section chief, while cities will have one administrative section chief.  (Note) Small counties may have the minister also serve as section chief, with just one additional section chief appointed.

(7) Apart from the officials listed in paragraph six, technical personnel may be employed as needed to perform specialized tasks, to be appointed by order of the minister.

(8) The respective responsibilities of each administration (or section) are as follows:  (a) The Municipal Administration (or Section) oversees urban infrastructure development, including roads, sewers, trams, street lighting, waterworks, and other public utilities, as well as their construction and operation.  (b) The Administrative Bureau and Administrative Section: (i) manage the people’s police, including their training and education; conduct household registration surveys; register births, deaths, and marriages; install streetlights; and supervise and guide the police in maintaining public order, keeping streets clean, and enforcing bans on smoking, among other duties. (ii) Manage criminal investigation activities, train investigators, and carry out the detection and apprehension of various criminals, such as thieves and murderers.  (c) The Public Health Administration (or Section) oversees hospitals, the prevention and control of epidemics and infectious diseases, public health initiatives, inspections of vehicles, ships, public dining halls, and residential dwellings to ensure cleanliness, and the examination and oversight of physicians and pharmacists, as well as the regulation of pharmaceutical and medicinal product sales.  (d) The Transportation Administration (or Section) plans and constructs roads and bridges, inspects and supervises their repair and improvement, manages shipping operations, clears navigation channels, and establishes navigational aids. It also oversees and improves land-based transport systems, including railways, highways, and air travel, along with other transportation-related matters.  (e) The Social Security Administration (or Section) provides relief to populations affected by disasters, such as floods and droughts, and offers assistance to areas struck by various calamities.  (f) The Postal and Telecommunications Administration develops and manages national postal services, wired telegraphy, wireless telegraphy, long-distance telephone communications, and other related enterprises.  (Note) Postal and telecommunications services are centrally administered; therefore, a Postal and Telecommunications Administration will be established only under the Central People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs, and no such administration will be set up at the provincial level or below.

(9) When necessary, each administration or section may form committees, inviting specialist experts to serve as members, with the bureau director or section chief acting as chairperson. Each committee shall consist of three to five members.

(10) Detailed regulations concerning the organization and operations of local government departments of food supply and public health will be promulgated separately.

(11) To supervise the execution of departmental tasks and provide guidance to lower-level units, a number of supervisors will be appointed.

(11) Specific rules governing the internal operations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be formulated separately.

(13) This Provisional Outline may be amended or suspended at any time by the People’s Committee.

(14) This Provisional Outline shall come into effect in Fujian and Jiangxi provinces, as well as in Ruijin Directly Administered County, from the date of its promulgation. However, for regions not yet integrated into the Central Soviet Area, it shall take effect from the date of this document.

The People’s Committee Chairman: Mao Zedong  Vice Chairmen: Xiang Ying, Zhang Guotao  June 11–10, 1931