Prior to 2018, OCAO was an administrative office under the State Council of the People's Republic of China responsible for liaising with and influencing overseas Chinese as part of its united front efforts.

[9][10] In March 2018, it was announced that the OCAO and its functions, such as China News Service, would be merged into various internal bureaus of the United Front Work Department as well as the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese as part of the deepening the reform of the Party and state institutions, with the OCAO remaining as an external name of the UFWD.

[13] OCAO is tasked with conducting overseas Chinese (OC) affairs work or qiaowu as part of the united front system.

[14] According to James To, an academic at the Institute of the Pacific United:[2] Qiaowu is ostensibly a comprehensive effort that seeks to maintain, protect, and enhance the rights and interests of the OC.

In practice, however, qiaowu works to legitimise and protect the CCP's hold on power, uphold China's international image, and retain influence over important channels of access to social, economic and political resources both domestically and abroad.