- Proposes administrative measures, formulates administrative regulations, issues decisions and orders in accordance with the law
- Formulates proposals to the National People’s Congress or the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress
- Stipulates the functions and responsibilities of ministries and committees, leads the work of all ministries and committees
- Leads the work of local national administrative agencies at all levels throughout the country
- Prepares and implements the national economic and social development plans and national budgets
- Leads and manages economic work, urban and rural construction, and ecological construction
- Leads and manages education, science, culture, health, sports and child policy work
- Leads and manages civil affairs, public security, judicial administration
- Manages foreign affairs and sign agreements with foreign countries
- Leads and manages national defense construction
- Leads and manages ethnic affairs, guarantees the equal rights of ethnic minorities and the autonomy rights in ethnic autonomous areas
- Protects the legitimate rights and interests of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives
- Changes or revokes inappropriate orders and regulations issued by ministries and committees
- Approves the regional division of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, autonomous prefectures, counties, autonomous counties, and cities
- Evaluates and declares a state of emergency in accordance with the law
- Examines and approves the personnel structure of administrative agencies, and appoints, removes, trains, evaluates, rewards and punishes administrative personnel in accordance with the law
- Other functions granted by the National People’s Congress and the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress