Building an enabling legal environment: laws and policies on social enterprises in China

Abstract

This article discusses China’s most recent social enterprise-related laws and policies in a systematic fashion. It first introduces the concept of social enterprise under the Chinese context. Then it analyses national-level general laws applicable to social enterprises. At the local level, the article analyses three different models of social enterprise accreditation policies emerging in various regions of China. By comparing the accreditation systems with the UK’s SE Mark, the article also assesses how international experience was first assimilated and then tailored gradually to the Chinese context. Last, it identifies deficiencies in the current social enterprise legal system in China and the future directions for reform.