The Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs is a municipal government department responsible for ethnic and religious affairs in the city. It is under the leadership of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Shanghai Municipal Committee and has the status of a regular-level bureau.

Main responsibilities:

1. Implement laws, regulations, rules, guidelines, and policies related to ethnic and religious work. Research and draft local regulations and draft regulations on ethnic and religious work, formulate relevant policies and organise their implementation.

2. Safeguard the rights of ethnic minorities in accordance with the law and coordinate ethnic relations. Participate in the formulation of development plans for ethnic education, culture, health, sports, and other undertakings. Responsible for carrying out activities to promote ethnic unity and progress. Participate in the management of ethnic minorities who come to Shanghai.

3. Help train, select and appoint officials with ethnic minority backgrounds. Maintain contact with representatives from ethnic minority groups and guide mass organisations for ethnic minorities.

4. Collaborate in providing paired assistance and economic and technological aid to ethnic minority areas. Coordinate with relevant departments to ensure the production and supply of special commodities for ethnic minorities, and provide guidance, coordination, supervision, and inspection of work related to halal food.

5. Protect citizens' right to freedom of religious belief in accordance with the law and protect their normal religious activities. Develop religions in the Chinese context, actively guide religions in adapting to the socialist society, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of religious groups, schools, activity venues, and believers. Promote the establishment of mechanisms for handling activities related to religious matters involving foreigners and manage collective religious activities of foreigners in Shanghai in accordance with the law.

6. Assist religious groups in adhering to the principles of independence and self-management within the scope of the Constitution and laws, and based on the characteristics of each religion, help them carry out self-propagation, self-governance, and self-support, and follow the path of independence.

7. Encourage ethnic and religious figures to engage in self-education focused on patriotism, socialism, and support for the reunification of our motherland, as well as the unity of all ethnic nationalities. Strengthen and develop socialist ethnic relations, and unite and mobilize the public in the ethnic and religious communities to proactively uphold social stability and unity.

8. Conduct research and analysis on ethnic and religious affairs and religious theories both domestically and internationally. Organise and coordinate exchanges and interactions in the ethnic and religious fields with foreign countries, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions.

9. Collaborate with relevant departments in exposing and combating sabotage and criminal activities that exploit ethnicity and religion. Participate in comprehensive governance efforts targeting feudalistic and superstitious activities. Prevent and stop illegal and unlawful activities using religion. Cooperate with relevant departments in preventing and dealing with cult activities.

10. Support religious groups in nurturing and educating clerical personnel. Guide religious schools and institutions to strengthen their self-development. Perform the duty as the supervisor for social organisations in the ethnic and religious fields.

11. Organise and guide the dissemination and education of relevant ethnic and religious policies and laws. Responsible for reviewing the content of movies and TV shows, publications like books, newspapers and magazines, as well as advertisements related to ethnic and religious issues.

12. Provide guidance on ethnic and religious affairs for all districts.

13. Undertake work related to the management of religious affairs online and regulate online services for religious information.

14. Fulfill other tasks assigned by the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the municipal government.