Research On Reform In Local Foreign Affairs Receptions Based On Outsourcing Approach

The modern outsourcing originated in the1960s-1970s and has become a major industrial sector today. Considering its great success in business, the outsourcing approach is adopted and practiced by governments of various nations to diversify channels of providing public services; and among them, the West is the first one to get successful practices. Later it is introduced into China, and especially in2003, the Government Procurement Law of the People’s Republic of China was promulgated, which helps the outsourcing of public services develop fast all over China. For now China has been applying the outsourcing approach to provide basic public services, services for social supervision, technical services and logistic services for governments, with outstanding achievements.In China, local foreign affairs reception is an important part of the overall work of the Party and the state, since it plays a significant role in facilitating modernization and protecting the interests of national sovereignty, safety and development. As a major duty for local foreign affairs authorities, the foreign affairs reception is regarded as a leading way to boost image, promote friendship and facilitate exchanges and cooperation with the outside world, and politically it is an important task to safeguard national dignity. However, on the one hand local foreign affairs receptions are increasing in pace with deepened reform and opening up, and expenditures concerned are rising up as well; and on the other hand, in order to adapt itself to new situations, the Chinese government is deepening reform in administrative structures, changing governmental functions, building service-oriented administration, improving administrative efficiency and reducing administrative expenditures. Therefore, the outsourcing approach becomes an alternative for local foreign affairs authorities to reform their foreign affairs receptions. The foreign affairs in Y province play a significant role in China, and Y province is at the front of Chinese provinces in terms of the number of foreign affairs receptions. The foreign affairs authorities in Y province respond to new situations actively and double their efforts to explore new possibilities, including the outsourcing approach. They have gotten some achievements and lessons, which shall inspire others in China.The paper is designed to summarize the practices of the outsourcing of foreign affairs receptions in Y province, analyze their outstanding problems and seek roots. Considering theories and methods of public administration, it is expected to improve understanding of the importance of practicing the outsourcing approach in local foreign affairs receptions, and then develop some strategies for better the approach, aiming to provide theoretical and practical references for local foreign affairs authorities.