FAQ
We regularly update this list of questions with information drawn from Chinese law, official statements, and our interviews about NGOs’ on-the-ground experiences
The following documentation must be filed with the relevant Public Security office at least 15 days before a temporary activity begins (note: this time restriction is waived in cases of emergency relief services): 1. Documents and materials showing the foreign NGO’s legal establishment; 2. A written agreement between the Foreign NGO and a Chinese Partner Unit; 3. Information about the temporary activity, including the activity’s name, objectives, region, and proposed timing and duration; 4. Materials...Read more
After gaining approval from a Professional Supervisory Unit (whose application materials and process vary from unit to unit), a foreign NGO must submit the following materials to the appropriate public security office.Read more
Unlike Professional Supervisory Unites (PSUs), which are paired with foreign NGO representative offices in China and which must be selected from a list provided by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), Chinese Partner Units (CPUs) are organizations that work with foreign NGOs to carry out temporary activities. Article 16 of the Foreign NGO law, as translated by China Law Translate, describes CPUs as “state organs, mass organizations, public institutions, or social organizations.” This appears to...Read more
Yes. The term 境外 (jing wai) used in the law, which we translate as “foreign,” is frequently translated as “overseas,” but its literal translation is “outside the borders.” For legal and regulatory purposes, jing wai includes Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.Read more
Article 2 of the Foreign NGO Law, as translated by China Law Translate, defines Foreign NGOs as any “not-for-profit, non-governmental social organizations lawfully established outside mainland China, such as foundations, social groups, and think tank institutions.”Read more