New State-Run Federation May Limit Environmental NGO Independence

May 26, 2005

Chinese authorities have established the All China Environment Federation (ACEF), a state-run alliance of environmental NGOs, according to an April 24 Xinhua article. The ACEF's leadership is primarily current and former government officials; vice-directors include the current head of the State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), former directors and deputy directors of ministries such as Construction, Forestry, and Agriculture, and other officials with responsibilities touching on environmental issues.

Chinese authorities have established the All China Environment Federation (ACEF), a state-run alliance of environmental NGOs, according to an April 24 Xinhua article. The ACEF's leadership is primarily current and former government officials; vice-directors include the current head of the State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), former directors and deputy directors of ministries such as Construction, Forestry, and Agriculture, and other officials with responsibilities touching on environmental issues.

The ACEF is designed in theory to ensure better cooperation between ministries in the environmental field, according to an April 25 commentary appearing in the 21st Century Business Herald. Officials also suggest that the ACEF will offer a more regularized channel for Chinese NGOs to provide input into the decisionmaking process. The presence of Politburo member Zeng Peiyan at the opening ceremonies appears to signal that top level leaders are behind the formation of the ACEF.

The creation of the ACEF, however, actually may be an effort by central authorities to restrain China's vocal environmental NGOs and curb the activities of an increasingly independent SEPA. Compelling NGOs and SEPA to operate within a larger, state-controlled organization may limit their ability to challenge central government environmental or development policies. Activist NGOs have recently mobilized public support to oppose major Chinese dam projects. (For more information, see the Commission Roundtable on Environmental NGOs in China). Recently, SEPA has also challenged Chinese development authorities. In January 2005, SEPA blocked 30 major development projects for failure to comply with environmental laws. In April, SEPA also held a public hearing on a Summer Palace restoration project in Beijing that had attracted significant public criticism.

Chinese central authorities appear to be launching a major drive to reassert control over lower-level officials and the Chinese public. The Chinese government has imposed tighter limits on civil society over the past few weeks, according to other media reports (1, 2). Recent statements by top leaders and disciplinary committee officials suggest a rejection of public participation as a means for supervising government actions in favor of internal, top-down personnel management. The creation of the ACEF strongly resembles traditional Chinese techniques of social control, using mass organizations such as the All China Women's Federation and the All China Federation of Trade Unions.