Although most of these organizations work behind the scenes and are not well known to the general public, these "think tanks" are very influential to the workings of the country. From politics to economy, from military to diplomacy, they employ the most elite experts and researchers, and provide consult and give advice to policymakers.

   Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (上海國際問題研究院)

Website: http://www.siis.org.cn/en/default.aspx

Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), founded in 1960, is a comprehensive research organization that studies international politics, economy, security strategy and China's external relations. It mainly studies the United States, Japan, Europe, Russia and the Asia-Pacific region, focusing on relations among world’s major powers and China's periphery environment. So far, SIIS has 80 full time staff members, in which 30 members are senior fellows. And its main publications include Survey of International Affairs, International Review, and World Outlook. From 1979, the organization was authorized to confer M.A. degree.