Legal basis: Organic Law of Local People's Congresses and Local People's Governments in People's Republic of China (PRC).
Article 35 Local people's governments at or above the county level shall exercise the following functions and powers:
(a) to implement the resolutions of the people's congress at the corresponding level and its Standing Committee, as well as the resolutions and orders of the state administrative organs at higher levels, stipulate administrative measures and issue resolutions and orders. The people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, the cities where the people's governments of provinces and autonomous regions are located and the larger cities approved by the State Council may also formulate rules according to laws and administrative regulations of the State Council;
(2) To lead the work of subordinate departments and people's governments at lower levels;
(3) Changing or revoking inappropriate orders and instructions of subordinate departments and inappropriate resolutions and orders of people's governments at lower levels;
(four) according to the appointment and dismissal of state organs, rewards and punishments;
(five) the implementation of economic plans and budgets within their respective administrative areas, and the management of economic and cultural construction, civil affairs and public security;
(6) to protect socialist property owned by the whole people and property collectively owned by the working people, to protect citizens' legitimate private property, to maintain social order and to safeguard citizens' personal rights, democratic rights and other rights.
(seven) to ensure the autonomy of rural collective economic organizations;
(eight) to protect the rights of ethnic minorities and respect their customs and habits, and the provincial people's government also helps ethnic minorities in the province to exercise regional autonomy and help them develop their political, economic and cultural construction;
(nine) to ensure that women enjoy equal political rights, labor rights, equal pay for equal work and other rights with men;
(ten) to handle other matters assigned by the state administrative organs at higher levels.
Article 36 The people's governments of townships, nationality townships and towns shall exercise the following functions and powers:
(a) to implement the resolutions of the people's congresses at the corresponding levels and the resolutions and orders of the state administrative organs at higher levels, and to issue resolutions and orders;
(two) to lead the election of deputies to the people's congresses at the corresponding levels;
(3) Convening a meeting of the people's congress at the corresponding level;
(four) to manage the economic and cultural construction, civil affairs and public security work within their respective administrative areas;
(5) to protect the socialist property owned by the whole people and the property collectively owned by the working people, to protect the lawful property privately owned by citizens, to maintain social order and to safeguard citizens' personal rights, democratic rights and other rights;
(six) to ensure the autonomy of rural collective economic organizations;
(seven) to protect the rights of ethnic minorities and respect the customs and habits of ethnic minorities;
(eight) to ensure that women enjoy equal political rights, labor rights, equal pay for equal work and other rights with men;
(nine) to handle other matters assigned by the people's government at a higher level.