Civil Society
The State Audit Bureau will begin auditing foreign assistance programs in China for the first time in 2005, according to a report on the China Court Net. The government says the goal of this move is to strengthen the management of project funds and to increase project effectiveness. In 2004, the State Audit Bureau ignited controversy after it launched efforts to increase oversight of and improve transparency in government agencies by publicizing their audit results. The newly announced audit program suggests that development, human rights, and rule of law programs with foreign funding could be subject to such review.
A senior official of one of China’s largest and most respected NGOs offered cautious criticism of regulations on foundations that were promulgated in 2004. In an interview, an Amity Foundation general secretary critiqued three aspects of the recently-issued Regulations on Foundations.
The number and influence of independent organizations in rural China is increasing, posing a challenge to the government's political control, according to a number of recent scholarly articles. Responding to this phenomenon, the Chinese government has begun to promote the development of rural cooperatives to direct the organizational energy of China’s peasants into approved channels (and also to raise rural incomes).
A recent survey of rural Chinese organizations and popular attitudes revealed significant gaps in Party and government control over different types of rural organizations. Only about 22% of all organizations to which rural respondents belonged were formally registered.
A 21st Century Business Herald article highlights the regulatory, financial, and personnel factors hindering the development of Chinese non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The authors recount interviews with Liao Xiaoyi, director of the prominent Chinese NGO Global Village Beijing, and academic experts.
A December 11 People's Daily editorial suggests that Party officials may be moving to tighten control over Chinese non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The editorial emphasizes the need for NGOs to carry out Party policies and ideology and to adhere to relevant laws and regulations. Calling on Party and government organizations to exercise leadership over NGOs, the editorial stresses that the Party and government should work together to achieve the “development and supervision” of NGOs. The writer describes the value of NGOs in utilitarian terms: they are good for resolving local conflicts, providing social services, and giving Party officials a channel to understand local opinions.
According to an article carried on the China Court Web site, Zhejiang province has enacted China's first regulations on the organization of rural professional cooperatives. These regulations represent a marginally more liberal approach to rural organizations and, notably, do require a sponsor organization in order to register.
The Zhejiang Province Regulations on Professional Farmers Cooperatives, which will come into effect on January 1, allow the formation of agricultural cooperatives for the purpose of carrying out an assortment of production, management, and service functions. The regulations require cooperatives to establish a charter, board of directors, and management structure, and fulfill a detailed set of requirements.
In a critique published in the 21st Century Business Herald, researchers at three national research institutes blasted current Chinese regulations on civil society organizations. They took particular aim at the requirement that Chinese NGOs obtain a government-approved sponsor to register. All three institutes have submitted proposals to the State Council to amend existing regulations.
CECC Summary
The Beijing Review of November 25, 2004,features an article on the role China's own indigenous environmental NGOs. The article points to the frustrations that environmental NGOs encounter, but also describes some successes. According to Lin Youbin of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), the most significant problem grassroots NGOs face is a shortage of funding. Registration is “another big hurdle,” Lin added.
Liang Cuojie, the founder of Friends of Nature (FON), say that environmental NGOs rely on a “cooperative” relationship with the government. "What recourse would the Friends of Nature have if pollution is suspected? We are not a regulatory agency. We cannot allocate our limited resources to employ specialists to conduct investigations."