April 2018

China’s legal framework is constraining for civil society in general and philanthropic giving in particular. During the current administration of President Xi Jinping, Chinese civil society has come under a great deal of pressure. In terms of both freedom for civil society and philanthropy, China ranks very low among the world’s countries. Nevertheless, philanthropy has a rich and varied history in China. The last decade has seen the rapid growth of more independent grassroots nonprofit organizations and community-based organizations, along with a gradual shift away from a nonprofit landscape dominated by government-organized NGOs.