Overseas NGOs in China uneasy about new oversight law
In two months, the mainland adopts new rules on how thousands of non-governmental groups can operate, but confusion reigns in the sector
Overseas non-governmental organisations on the mainland are feeling growing unease about their future with just two months to go until a new law comes into effect giving the police broad powers to regulate the sector.
Released in April, the Law on Management of Domestic Activities of Overseas Non-governmental Organisations stipulates such NGOs must register with and obtain approval for their annual plans from police rather than the civil affairs authority, which had previously overseen the sector.
Under the rules, registered overseas NGOs that receive the go-ahead for their annual activities will still need to seek approval for short-term projects – as will unregistered groups doing one-off activities on the mainland.
Some overseas NGO workers said the registration demands were so complicated, expensive and time-consuming that it would be impossible to meet them by the January 1 deadline.
There are thousands of overseas NGOs on the mainland and most of them have not registered with the authorities. “In the past the government turned a blind eye to the multitude of illegal overseas NGOs, but this [law] has brought the issue to the fore,” a former employee of an international medical NGO based in Yunnan ( 雲南 ) province said. “The police will adopt strict approval rules as the Chinese government is intensifying control over overseas NGOs.”