Re-examining GONGOs: China and Beyond

• In Event: Emerging from Crisis: New Developments in Civil Society and Civic Action in China

Abstract

The paper (re)examines state-society relations in China with a focus on the quasi- non-governmental organizations (quasi-NGOs) sector and compares the dynamics with that of other (post)Communist authoritarian states, mainly, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. While Kazakhstan has had a clear departure from the Communist political system since 1991, China and Vietnam have abandoned some core Communist and Socialist political-economic institutions but kept the ideology in official rhetoric. Nevertheless, in all three cases, the research has found a peculiar kind of socio-political institution – quasi-NGOs – relevant to the development of civil society and governance.

The state in all three cases has invested in retaining and supporting some of such quasi-NGOs in order to enhance its capacity of both social control and absorbing diverse social demands. Civil society organisations and activists hold diverse opinions towards quasi-NGOs depending on the specific circumstances. In some scenarios, the competition and negotiation between quasi-NGOs and grassroots organisations and movements demonstrate the lingering political culture and ideology from the past. The comparative findings will shed light on how the Communist and authoritarian past, to a varying degree, continues to shape the interactions between the state and grassroots associations and NGOs, activism, and policy advocacy in China and beyond.

Communist (and Socialist) political norms, reflected in the practices of quasi-NGOs and their negotiations with both official agencies and civil society organisations, continue to affect the overall development of the nonprofit sector, public trust in civil society actors, and the main mechanisms of social mobilization.

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Author

• Fengshi Wu, University of New South Wales