The NGO Paradox in China: Outsourcing and Political Control in the New Era
manuscript in preparation (under contract)
Abstract
Why has the Chinese state actively promoted the expansion of the NGO sector despite its potential to challenge state authority? This book examines this paradox by investigating the political motivations, institutional arrangements, and consequences of outsourcing social services to NGOs in China. It argues that the state has created institutions to promote service-oriented NGOs while imposing regulatory frameworks that ensure their alignment with state goals. Drawing on interviews, policy documents, and original survey data collected in the field, the book traces the emergence of NGO outsourcing as means to maintain social stability during the late Hu–Wen period and its subsequent institutionalization under Xi. It shows how outsourcing has reshaped urban service provision, while revealing shortcomings in accountability and a positive association between receiving outsourced services and political trust. A comparison with post-communist autocracies further highlights the distinctive political motivations behind China’s approach. The book demonstrates how outsourcing and regulatory control have reshaped the NGO sector in China, contributing to our understanding of changing state–NGO relations in China and their implications for authoritarian governance.