Article 8 Statistical agencies and competent departments under the people's governments at or above the county level shall establish separate statistical systems and draw up separate statistical investigation plans at the following three levels and shall implement the systems and plans after they have been approved by examination organs according to relevant provisions：

（1） National statistical investigation. It shall be a nation-wide statistical investigation of the basic conditions in the country， covering such items for investigation as solely worked out by the State Statistical Bureau and those jointly worked out by the State Statistical Bureau and relevant departments under the State Council. New and important items for investigation in national statistical investigation plans shall be reported to the State Council for examination and approval by the State Statistical Bureau. Regular and general items for investigation shall be examined and approved by the State Statistical Bureau as authorized by the State Council. All localities， departments and units must strictly implement national statistical investigation plans.

The State generally carries out a major general investigation of national conditions and national strength （population， industries， agriculture， building industry， service trades， etc.） every ten years. A simplified investigation of population shall be conducted between two major general investigations.

（2） Departmental statistical investigation. It shall be a specialized statistical investigation conducted by various departments. The plans and programs of departmental statistical investigation shall be worked out by various specialized institutions concerned under statistical agencies in the pertinent departments. If the objects of investigation are within their own systems of jurisdiction， the plans and programs shall be examined and approved by the leaders of these departments and reported to the State Statistical Bureau or the statistical agencies in the local people's governments at the same level for the record. If the objects of investigation are outside the departmental system of jurisdiction， the plans and programs shall be reported to the State Statistical Bureau or the statistical agencies in the local people's governments at the same level for examination and approval. Important plans and programs shall be reported to the State Council or the local people's governments at the same level for examination and approval. The division of jurisdiction for statistical investigation among various departments shall be worked out by the State Statistical Bureau in consultation with the competent departments under the State Council and reported to the State Council for approval and implementation.

（3） Local statistical investigation. It shall be the statistical investigation needed by local people's governments. The procedures for reporting and approval of local statistical investigation plans and programs shall be stipulated by the statistical bureaux under the people's governments of the provinces， autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government and reported to the State Statistical Bureau for the record.

Article 9 Departmental and local statistical investigations may not overlap or contradict national statistical investigation.

The division of work among national statistical investigation， departmental statistical investigation and local statistical investigation shall be decided by the State Statistical Bureau after consultation with the competent departments under the State Council and the statistical bureaux under the people's governments of the provinces， autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government.

Article 10 The statistical data needed by the departments for comprehensive coordination under the people's governments at various levels shall generally be obtained from the statistical agencies and the relevant competent departments under the people's governments at the same level. When necessity arises for direct statistical investigation， plans and programs shall be worked out and implemented after being examined and approved in accordance with the provisions of the Statistical Law and these Rules.

Article 11 Statistical investigation plans shall be worked out on the basis of projects of statistical investigation. A project of statistical investigation refers to a statistical investigation organized in a specified time period for a certain investigation objective. The plan of each investigation project shall specify the following： name of project， organ to conduct the investigation， objective， scope， object（s）， manner， duration， and main content of investigation. Investigation programs of statistical investigation projects shall be worked out simultaneously with the statistical investigation plan. An investigation program shall include：

（1） investigation forms to be filled out by objects of investigation and written directions；

（2） overall statistical forms to be filled out and reported to the leadership and written directions；

（3） the personnel and funds needed for statistical investigations and the sources thereof.