By Stephen Noakes and Victoria Brownlee
China’s new draft law for foreign NGOs could undermine engagement in the South Pacific.
If the aim of China’s strategy in the Pacific is to foster trust and deepen collaboration, Beijing’s proposal to toughen supervision of international development organizationscould compromise its relationships with key regional partners.
Back in April, the National People’s Congress heard the second reading of the “Overseas NGO Management Law,” which NPC spokespeople identified as necessary for “safeguarding national security and maintaining social stability.” The draft law was back in the news last week, drawing criticism from a range of international human rights groups arguing that it amounted to a violation of free association and effectively shrunk the already too-small space for freedom of expression in mainland China.
The new law is designed to accomplish a variety of objectives. It increases government oversight of foreign groups by requiring that they obtain approval from an appropriate supervising entity, extending the already dense and burdensome registration requirements for foreign charities and foundations. It also precludes Chinese groups from accepting any funding from unregistered foreign partner organizations and from conducting activities on behalf of unregistered overseas partners, including those based in Hong Kong and Macau. Those found in violation of the new regulations face closure, the possible detention of staff, and fines of up to 50,000 RMB (approximately $8000).
Most worrying of all, the legislation transfers responsibility for the registration and supervision of foreign NGOs from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, which previously oversaw all matters related to the management of foreign and domestic social organizations, to the Ministry of Public Security. The move effectively brands global non-profits, churches and charities such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Doctors Without Borders, and the Salvation Army as security threats, and escalates action taken against them to the same level as counter-terrorism efforts.
Read the full story at The Diplomat