The NGO Paradox in China: Managing Civil Society in the New Era
manuscript in preparation (under contract)
Contrary to the conventional view that autocracies suppress civil society, China has experienced a remarkable expansion of the NGOs sector, growing from fewer than 10 registered organizations in the late 1980s to 800,000 in 2019. While existing research has examined how NGOs in China navigate state control, it has not fully explained why the party-state actively promote their growth amid autocratic deepening under Xi Jinping. This book aims to explore the paradoxical role of NGOs in China, arguing that the state strategically fosters their expansion to enhance social stability while maintaining political control. Through mechanisms like outsourcing social services and regulatory co-optation, the Chinese government has been successful in garnering state legitimacy through the NGO sector. By analyzing these counterintuitive dynamics, this study aims to offer new insights into state-society relations in China and beyond. Empirical evidence is drawn from fieldwork, original survey, primary and secondary sources, and case studies.