One of the first high-end think tanks in the country. Established in 2005, formerly known as the "Financial Laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences", it is China's first national financial think tank that spans both social and natural sciences. Since then, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, relying on the Department of Economics, has successively established more than ten think-tank-type research institutions focusing on financial and economic policy research, including the "Lujiazui Research Base" established in cooperation with the Shanghai Municipal Government in 2010. 

In June 2015, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences approved the integration of the above-mentioned more than ten think tank-type research institutions into the "National Finance and Development Laboratory" (hereinafter referred to as the "Laboratory"). 

On November 10, 2015, the 18th meeting of the "Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reform" approved the laboratory as one of the first 25 high-end national think tanks. 

The laboratory now consists of: Lujiazui Research Base of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, National Balance Sheet Research Center, China Bond Forum, Wealth Management Research Center, Macro Finance Research Center, Financial Law and Financial Supervision Research Base, Banking Research Center, Payment and Settlement Research Center, Professional research institutions such as Capital Market and Corporate Finance Research Center, Global Economy and Finance Research Center, Economic Growth and Financial Development Experimental Center, Insurance and Development Research Center, and Finance and Technology Research Center. The laboratory implements the director responsibility system under the leadership of the council. The council has a secretary general who is responsible for daily work. The laboratory has an academic committee, which manages the scientific research, academic and consulting activities of the laboratory. The Academic Committee has a secretary general who is responsible for daily work. The laboratory has five full-time institutions including scientific research management (including "think tank forum"), international cooperation management (including "international forum"), data and information management (including "media contact"), general office, and financial management.