Proposed new law could lead to harassment and arrest of local workers, restrictions or expulsion for foreigners, and funding difficulties
A new law would put NGOs under the supervision of China’s security apparatus. Photograph: Megapress/Alamy
Simon Denyer for the Washington Post
Monday 30 March 2015 18.00 EDT
China’s state security apparatus has turned its sights on foreign NGOs and their domestic partners, which are bracing for a crackdown.
A new law emanating from President Xi Jinping’s national security commission that would regulate overseas NGOs has raised alarm among people working in China to fight discrimination, improve health and education, or stick up for workers’ rights.
Viewed under the draft law less as partners of the government and more as a security risk, local advocates fear harassment and arrest; foreigners fear anything from restrictions on their activities to expulsion. A copy of the draft, which has not been released for public comment, was obtained by the Washington Post.
China’s crackdown on civil society is driven partly by Xi’s obsession with control but also by fear that foreigners are secretly plotting to overthrow China’s one-party state. It is also partly inspired by similar moves in Russia under President Vladimir Putin.
“Chinese leaders argue that the ultimate goal of western governments is to use their NGOs to orchestrate the collapse of the Chinese Communist party,” said Julia Famularo, a research affiliate at the Project 2049 Institute, an Arlington, Virginia-based thinktank. “Leaders in Beijing and Moscow will do whatever it takes to prevent potential colour revolutions from undermining social stability and threatening regime longevity.”
Leaders argue the goal of western governments is to use NGOs to orchestrate the collapse of the Chinese Communist party
The new law was presented to the standing committee of China’s parliament, the National People’s Congress (NPC), in December. It aims, said NPC spokeswoman Fu Ying, to protect the “legitimate interests” of foreign NGOs while safeguarding China’s “national security and social stability”.
Although the draft law could be revised, and there is uncertainty about how strictly it will be enforced, the copy obtained by the Post shows that security considerations are paramount.
Overseas NGOs will be placed under the supervision of the public security bureau, rather than the ministry of civil affairs, which traditionally deals with them. In order to register, they would need to find a government agency to sponsor them, a requirement that could prove extremely tough for some.
