Join us Thursday, November 1, at 12:30 pm, for a discussion with:

Yang Li and  You Fei

Does Enforcement of China’s Overseas NGO Law Affect US-based NGOs in China?

The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Administration of Activities of Overseas Nongovernmental Organizations (ONGO Law), which came into effect on January 1, 2017, has generated wide concerns and fierce criticisms among China and international civil society. What is the influence of ONGO Law enforcement on US ONGOs operating in China? Based on the public information of Ministry of Public Security, there are 355 ONGOs offices registered and 644 temporary activities filed as of March 31 2018, and about 22 percent of the registered ONGOs are US-based NGOs. This paper explores the influence of ONGO Law enforcement on ONGOs by empirical analysis, based on interviews with 12 executives of US-based NGOs whose headquarters are located at New York. We discuss the influence of ONGO Law enforcement on the operations of organizations, the difference between their expectation and practical implementation, the challenges and opportunities they encounter, and their suggestions for potential ONGOs who plan to enter into China. We conclude that ONGO Law enforcement accelerates the institutionalization and internationalization of nonprofit sector in China. ONGOs including US-based ones are not simply passive law abiders, they also actively operate to redefine their roles and relationships in societal space through employing a wide range of levers.

We will be meeting at the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, room 5401