Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles, founded in May, 1950, adopts a collective membership system. All literary artists associations and literary federations in all districts and counties in Beijing are collective members of the Federation; all literary federations belonging to municipal bureaus and industries may submit application to and then gain the approval by the presidium bureau of the Federation to become its collective members. There are now 28 collective members. Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles is responsible for liaison, coordination, services and management to all literary artists associations in Beijing, and is responsible for liaison, coordination, services and professional guidance to literary federations of all districts, counties and municipal bureaus in Beijing. The Federation positively organizes and pushes all member associations to carry out foreign cultural exchanges, visits and receives scholars and artists throughout the world as groups or individuals, which enhances the understanding and friendship between literary artists from home and abroad to stimulate the development of Chinese and foreign culture and education causes.