The following document is the 2022 budget of the China Association of Science and Technology (CAST), a Communist Party-led professional association for Chinese scientists. CAST is funded by the Chinese government and promotes scientific ethics and science popularization. Among other projects, this year’s budget funds an effort to reform China’s Chinese- and English-language scientific journals.

China Association for Science and Technology (CAST)

2022 Budget

March 2022

Part 1: Overview of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST)

I. Primary Responsibilities

On approval by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee in September 1958, the All-China Federation of Natural Science Societies and the China Association for Popularization of Science and Technology (CAPST) merged to form the China Association for Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as CAST). CAST is a mass organization of Chinese science and technology (S&T) workers, is a people’s organization under the leadership of the CCP, is the bridge and link between the Party and the government when contacting S&T workers, and is an important force for the country to promote the development of S&T and to build China into a world S&T powerhouse.¹ According to the Charter of the China Association for Science and Technology, CAST fulfills the following primary responsibilities:

1. To guide S&T workers to study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, publicize the Party’s line, directives, and policies, keep close contact with S&T workers, reflect their suggestions, opinions, and demands, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of S&T workers, and build a warm and reliable home for S&T workers.
2. To carry out academic exchanges, stimulate academic thinking, advocate academic democracy, optimize the academic environment, promote the development of disciplines, coordinate organizations in promoting the cultivation and construction of world-class scientific journals, and promote the establishment of a national innovation system.
3. To organize S&T workers who carry out S&T innovation, carry out S&T volunteer services, participate in scientific demonstration and consulting services, strengthen self-confidence in innovation, strive to make breakthroughs on key and core technologies (关键核心技术), accelerate the conversion and application of S&T achievements, facilitate innovation and development, and promote the deep integration of S&T innovation and economic and social development.
4. To advance the spirit of science, popularize scientific knowledge, disseminate scientific ideas and methods, advocate scientific methods, defend the dignity of science, and elevate the scientific literacy of the nation.
5. To improve the self-discipline function of the scientific community, promote the establishment and improvement of the scientific research integrity supervision mechanism, promote the establishment of scientific ethics, strengthen the establishment of S&T ethics, cultivate a good academic style (学风), do propaganda on outstanding S&T workers, cultivate scientific culture, and practice the socialist core values concept (社会主义核心价值观).
6. To organize S&T workers to participate in the research, consultation, and formulation of national S&T strategies, planning, layout, policies, laws, and regulations, participate in political consultation, scientific decision-making, and democratic supervision of national affairs, and build a high-level S&T innovation think tank with Chinese characteristics.
7. To organize affiliated associations to undertake, in an orderly fashion, government-entrusted work or transfer functions such as S&T evaluation, professional qualification recognition in the field of engineering and technology, technical standards development, and national S&T awards and recommendations. To support local S&T associations to undertake the government’s S&T public service functions.
8. To focus on stimulating the interest of young people in S&T, promote the construction of S&T talent teams, create more world-class leading S&T talents and innovative teams, and cultivate a reserve army of young S&T talents with international competitiveness. To commend and reward outstanding S&T workers and recommend S&T talents.
9. To carry out non-governmental international S&T exchange activities, promote international S&T cooperation, support associations, join international S&T organizations, promote the establishment of international S&T organizations or branches, and participate in international S&T affairs and global S&T governance. To strengthen the construction of the Chinese Engineers’ Consortium (中国工程师联合体) and expand cooperation with international engineer organizations. To support S&T workers to play an active role in international S&T organizations and major international S&T agendas. To develop friendly exchanges with foreign (extraterritorial) S&T groups and S&T workers and provide services for international S&T organizations and overseas S&T talents to come to China for exchanges, cooperation, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
10. To establish social welfare (社会公益性) undertakings in line with the objectives of CAST.

II. Ministry Budgetary Unit Composition

The composition of CAST departmental budgetary units in 2022 includes CAST itself, the Institutional Retired Cadres Office (机关离退休干部办公室), and 16 directly affiliated units. The 16 directly affiliated units include:

1. National Academy of Innovation Strategy, CAST
2. Service Center for Societies of CAST (中国科协学会服务中心)
3. Children & Youth Science Center, CAST
4. China Science and Technology Museum
5. China Research Institute for Science Popularization
6. Science & Technology Review Publishing House
7. Service Center for Enterprise Innovation, CAST
8. Rural Special Technology Service Center of CAST
9. CAST Information Center (中国科协信息中心)
10. CAST Internal Service Center (中国科协机关服务中心)
11. China Hall of Science and Technology
12. China Center for International Science and Technology Exchange
13. CAST Training and Talent Service Center (中国科协培训和人才服务中心)
14. CAST New Technology Development Center (中国科协新技术开发中心)
15. CAST Science and Technology Communication Center (中国科协科学技术传播中心)
16. China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd.

For rest of this translation, download the PDF below.

1. Translator’s note: This translation renders the Chinese word 强国 qiángguó—which literally means “strong nation,” and is sometimes translated as “superpower”—as “powerhouse,” as in the phrase “S&T powerhouse” (科技强国). For a more thorough discussion in English of the Chinese word qiángguó, see: https://www.newamerica.org/cybersecurity-initiative/digichina/blog/lexicon-wangluo-qiangguo/.