Defining Chinese Nongovernmental Organizations

Abstract

In interpreting the current surge of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in China, scholars have mainly applied western concepts of civil society, corporatism, and the third sector. These perspectives, however, are not sufficient to account for the importance of China’s particular historical and political culture. This paper discusses the development and future of NGOs in the context of current scholarly research as well as the role of China’s historical and current sociopolitical situation.