The State Council has just released a file regarding the development of industry associations. The point of the file was to draw a clear line between industry associations and government administration.

This is welcome news. Several local governments have issued similar rules asking officials to quit posts in industry associations.

Now that the central government is splitting the associations from the government, it will help boost the development of the industry associations and relieve the government of unnecessary functions.

Before the files were released, many key positions in industry associations were held by officials. This fact makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact role of industry associations: are they branches of the government or non-government organizations?

The affiliation of industry associations with the government also facilitates them doing things beyond their responsibility. Cases are not rare that some industry associations made profits with their alleged links to the government, like what happened with the National Committee of Oral Health. The committee was suspected of being involved in commercial scandals that it was eventually dismantled in April.

The State Council specified that the industry associations should be independent from the administrative departments in function, organization, employment, finance and even office location.

Both the industry associations and the government have their own roles to perform.

The industry associations should function as an organization of self-governance within the framework set by the law.

The government should focus on supervising and servicing the associations. It should ensure the associations operate according to the law without pursuit of profits.

Thus, the industry association and the government takes care of their own job and there is much less chance for scandal.