Civic engagement

The China International Development Cooperation Agency was founded on April 18, 2018. This new agency integrates the functions of the Ministry of Commerce for foreign aid work and the functions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for foreign aid coordination (People’s Daily, 2018). According to its official website, “The agency aims to formulate strategic guidelines, plans and policies for foreign aid, coordinate and offer advice on major foreign aid issues, advance the country's reforms in matters involving foreign aid, and identify major programs and supervise and evaluate their implementation” (China International Development Cooperation Agency, 2018).

On September 30, 2021, the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MOCA) issued the “‘14th Five-Year Plan" for the Development of Social Organizations (《“十四五”社会组织发展规划》). This document explicitly states that China will “steadily promote ’Going Out’ strategy for domestic NGOs, carry out overseas cooperation in an orderly manner, enhance the ability of China's social organizations in the participation of global governance, and improve the influence of Chinese culture and China's ‘soft power’.

On January 10, 2021, the State Council Information Office issued the “China`s International Development Cooperation in the New Era”. This white paper states that China will “work for a more equitable and balanced global development partnership”. To achieve this, China will “encourage the private sector, NGOs and social groups, and charitable organizations to play a greater role”. In terms of laws and policies, it explicitly states that “China will continue to improve relevant laws, regulations and institutions, providing a legal guarantee for international development cooperation. The inter-ministerial coordination mechanism for foreign aid will play a more active role, and we will forge synergy at all levels, coordinate efforts by central departments, local governments and social organizations, pool premium resources, and enhance cohesion and efficiency”.

The China International Development Cooperation Agency was founded on April 18, 2018. This new agency integrates the functions of the Ministry of Commerce for foreign aid work and the functions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for foreign aid coordination (People's Daily 2018). According to its official website, “The agency aims to formulate strategic guidelines, plans and policies for foreign aid, coordinate and offer advice on major foreign aid issues, advance the country's reforms in matters involving foreign aid, and identify major programs and supervise and evaluate their implementation” (China International Development Cooperation Agency 2018c).

On August 21, 2016, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the “Opinions on Reforming the Regulation System of Social Organizations and Promoting the Healthy and Orderly Development of Social Organizations (《关于改革社会组织管理制度促进社会组织健康有序发展的意见》)”.  This document states that “(the government will) improve the registration and management system, encourage domestic social organizations to join the newly-established international social organizations, and support the establishment of new international social organizations. For domestic social organizations that have a plan to set up overseas branches for work purposes, they are required to get approval from their professional supervisory units or the units responsible for the management of their foreign affairs.

On Sept 26, 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the UN Development Summit at the UN Headquarters in New York, entitled “Seeking Common Sustainable Development, Working as Partners for Win-Win Cooperation (《谋共同永续发展，作合作共赢伙伴》)”. In his speech, President Xi announced that China would establish a South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, with an initial provision of US $2 billion, to support South-South cooperation and assist developing countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (China International Development Cooperation Agency 2018a).

On September 9, 2016, the Ministry of Commerce sought comments on the “Measures for the Application and Management of the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund Projects (for Trial Implementation) (《南南合作援助基金项目申报与实施管理办法（试行）》)”, in which social organizations have been explicitly incorporated as eligible applicants and implementors for the Fund (Ministry of Commerce of the PRC 2016).

On May 14, 2017, at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit, President Xi announced an additional US $1 billion in funding for this Fund. The partners of this Fund include international organizations, social organizations, think tanks, etc (China International Development Cooperation Agency 2018a).

According to the Fund's official website, “By the end of 2017, China had signed cooperation agreements with 15 international organizations, including the World Food Program, the United Nations Development Program, and the World Health Organization, and had implemented nearly 200 development cooperation projects in 27 countries and regions in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The programs covered food safety, post-disaster reconstruction, refugee relief, medical treatment and public health, maternal and child health, poverty alleviation, education and training, and trade and investment facilitation, and have benefited about 5 million people in developing countries” (China International Development Cooperation Agency 2018b).

On March 28, 2015, “Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21^st-Century Maritime Silk Road (《推动共建丝绸之路经济带和21世纪海上丝绸之路的愿景与行动》)” was issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Commerce of the People`s Republic of China. The “Cooperation Priorities” section proposed that “(all parties should) increase exchanges and cooperation between non-governmental organizations of countries along the Belt and Road, organize public interest activities concerning education, health care, poverty reduction, biodiversity and ecological protection for the benefit of the general public, and improve the production and living conditions of poverty-stricken areas along the Belt and Road”(Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation 2017).

On August 31, 2021, the China International Development Cooperation Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Commerce jointly issued the “Measures for the Administration of Foreign Aid”. These measures, coming into force on October 1, 2021, expand the types of aid projects from the previous five categories to eight categories by adding medical team projects, emergent humanitarian projects, and the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund projects. The Measures clearly state that the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund can be used to finance aid projects carried out by international organizations, social organizations, and think tanks (China International Development Cooperation Agency 2021).