the people's councils concerned, and to the leadership of the corresponding organs of the people's councils at higher levels.

ARTICLE 40 Within Within the limits of their respective functions, and in accordance with laws and decrees, with decisions and orders of the people's councils concerned, and with orders and directives of the corresponding organs of the administrative organs of state at higher levels, the various administrative organs of the people's councils of provinces, of municipalities directly under the central authority, and of municipalities divided into districts may issue orders and directives to the corresponding organs of the people's councils at lower levels.

ARTICLE 41 People's councils of provinces, municipalities directly under the central authority, counties, municipalities, and municipal districts are required to assist in the work of organs of state, state-owned enterprises, and joint state-private enterprises which are located in their respective administrative areas but are not under their jurisdiction; they are also required to supervise these organs of state and enterprises in the observance and execution of laws, decrees and policies, though they have no power to interfere with their respective functions.

ARTICLE 42 With the approval of the State Council, the provincial people's councils may set up sub-provincial administrative offices as their agencies.

With the approval of the provincial people's councils, the county people's councils may set up district offices as their agencies.

With the approval of the people's councils at the next higher level, the people's councils of municipal districts, and municipalities not divided into districts may set up street offices as their agencies.

AMENDMENTS TO THE ORGANIC LAW OF THE STATE COUNCIL OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND TO THE ORGANIC LAW OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESSES AND LOCAL PEOPLE'S COUNCILS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

On July 30, 1955, the First National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China at its second session adopted amendments to the Organic Law of the State Council of the People's Republic of China and to the Organic Law of the Local People's Congresses and Local People's Councils of the People's Republic of China. It resolved that:

1) the Ministry of Fuel Industries, established under Article 2 of the Organic Law of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, be abolished and, under this article, the Ministry of Coal Industry, the Ministry of Electric Power Industry, the Ministry of Petroleum Industry, the Ministry for the Purchase of Agricultural Produce and the Third Ministry of Machine Building be established.

2) the first item in paragraph two, Article 25 of the Organic Law of the Local People's Congresses and Local People's Councils of the People's Republic of China, referring to numbers of members of the local people's councils, be amended to read:

(1) In provinces or in municipalities

directly under the central authority -25 to 55; if more than 55 are deemed necessary in provinces with an exceptionally large population, then the approval of the State Council must be obtained.

DECISIONS ON MEASURES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF LOCAL DEMOCRATIC-COALITION GOVERNMENTS OF NATIONALITIES

Adopted by the Government Administration Council of the Central People's Government on February 22, 1952

In accordance with the basic spirit of the policy towards nationalities, as laid down in the Common Programme of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, democratic-coalition governments of nationalities may be established in the following

areas:

1. A province (or sub-province), municipality, special region, county, district, hsiang (or village) where the Han people constitute the overwhelming majority of the local population, while the people of national minorities make up 10 per cent or more of the population;

2. A province (or sub-province), municipality, special region, county, district, hsiang (or village) where the people of national minorities constitute less than 10 per cent of the local population, but where relations between the different nationalities are such as may affect the local administration in various aspects;

3. An area where the inhabitants belong to two or more national minorities, but joint autonomy is not being practised;

4. A locality within a national autonomous region where the Han inhabitants are exceptionally

numerous;

5. Any other locality where, for some special reason, the establishment of a democratic-coalition government of nationalities is deemed necessary and is approved by the people's government of a Greater Administrative Area or by the Government Administration Council of the Central People's Government.

The purpose of establishing a local democraticcoalition government of nationalities is to safeguard the right of the national minorities to equality in the local organ of state power. The name of the people's government need not thus be changed.

Each democratic-coalition government of nationalities is a form of state power at a local level. The general regulations, promulgated by the Central People's Government, governing the organization of the people's representative conferences and of the people's governments in provinces, municipalities, counties, districts, hsiang (or villages) shall, in general, apply to the organization of such bodies in areas where there are democratic-coalition governments, with the following supplementary provisions.

I. REGARDING THE PEOPLE'S REPRESENTATIVE CONFERENCES

1. The number of representatives from the different nationalities to the local people's representative conference shall be appropriately determined and allotted through consultation, on the basis of the ratio in population of the different nationalities in the given area. Due consideration shall be given to any national minority with an exceptionally small population.

2. Representatives from the different nationalities to the local people's representative conference may, according to actual relations between the