The State Council has approved a new regulation on China’s administrative division management, according to a circular released on Nov 1.

The whole national administrative division should be kept stable, with major changes being reported to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, according to the new regulation. Any changes in the division should be beneficial to the national modernization drive, national governance system, administrative management, ethnic solidarity and strengthening national defense.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) will be in charge of the issue, and the local civil affair departments above county level will undertake the work in their own administrative regions.

Approved changes in administrative divisions should be completed in 12 months, or extended for another six months under complex situations, said the new regulation. After the change, local governments should release the information to the public in a timely manner.

The ministry should set up an online information system for administrative division changes, and will be in charge of working out detailed implementation provisions based on the regulation.

The new regulation will take effect on Jan 1, 2019, replacing the old provisions of the State Council concerning administrative division management released on Jan 15, 1985.