The National Archives Bureau was established in June 1954 1 1, directly under the State Council. 1959 according to the notice of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the unified management of the party's archives work, the national archives bureau is not only a party organization, but also a government organization, directly led by the General Office of the Central Committee of the CPC.

The National Archives Bureau 1970 was revoked, and 1979 was restored. 1985, the central authorities and the State Council decided that the National Archives Bureau was led by the State Council, the functional department of archives management in the State Council, and an institution directly under the State Council. According to the Archives Law of People's Republic of China (PRC), the basic tasks of the National Archives Bureau are: to be in charge of the national archives cause, make overall plans, organize and coordinate, unify the system, and supervise and guide the national archives cause.

The Central Archives was established in 1959+00. Its main tasks are: to collect and keep the important archives of the Party and central state organs with permanent preservation value and the revolutionary historical archives formed by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China organs and organizations before liberation, to sort out, study and use the collected archives, and to serve the work of the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and the Party and the state.

1March 1993 the State Council decided on institutional reform. The National Archives Bureau and the Central Archives Bureau, one institution with two brands, are included in the subordinate institutions of the Central directly under the authority.