Civil Society Work in China: Trade-Offs and Opportunities for European NGOs

Download or read book Civil Society Work in China: Trade-Offs and Opportunities for European NGOs written by Bertram Lang and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 13 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Enacted in January 2017, China's Foreign Non-Governmental Organisation Management Law ("FNGO Law") has been interpreted as the clearest evidence of "shrinking spaces" for civil society in China. While the overall trend towards tightened political control and the restriction of independent societal initiatives under Xi Jinping continues unabated, the effects of the new legal environment for non-profits operating in China remain ambiguous. The new FNGO Law epitomises the Chinese party-state's securitised and mistrustful approach towards independent social forces - notably those with Western backing - in the "new era." However, as opposed to other countries with restrictive NGO laws, Chinese authorities have stopped short of directly attacking or scapegoating NGOs. Instead, they portray the law as a transparency- and service-oriented regulatory improvement that finally grants foreign NGOs legal security. After two years, 110 European organisations out of a total of 734 have registered