Foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) face impediments in the People’s Republic of China. Many such problems result from the NGOs’lack of stable connections to the government. Academic literature on China is rich with data about links between the state and indigenous “civil” organizations, but relations between the government and foreign development NGOs have received less coverage in public. This article bypasses the widely accepted view of the Chinese state as solely corporatist. It describes Chinese regulation of foreign assistants in development and then offers two case studies of recently established NGOs. It concludes that, rather than demonizing the government for its faults in other areas, foreign development workers in China should be willing to work with government structures whenever possible. Only by understanding the political climate and regulatory structure, as well as the available options, can foreign NGOs hope to establish a long-term presence in China and effect lasting change.
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