Implementing the Overseas NGO Law - 26 NGOs register in Beijing and Guangdong

According to the Ministry of Public Security’s website, the first group of overseas NGOs have successfully registered in Beijing and Guangdong. The MPS notice dated January 24 states that 20 NGOs in Beijing, and six NGOs in Guangdong, received their registration certificate this month.  The MPS Overseas NGO Service and Management platform shows pictures of the undoubtedly relieved NGO representatives on a stage holding their certificates, along with MPS officials.

The Beijing NGOs include familiar names like the World Economic Forum, Save the Children, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Paulson Foundation. The Guangdong NGOs include the Hong Kong Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (Guangzhou), the Federation of Hong Kong Industries (Shenzhen), and the Taiwan Trade Center (Guangzhou).

As I noted in earlier posts, the first group of overseas NGOs to get registered would most likely include those that had already been registered as representative offices of foundations under the Ministry of Civil Affairs. That seems to be the case when reading the names of the Beijing NGOs. The World Economic Forum, Save the Children and the Gates Foundation had all been registered as a representative office of a foundation prior to the Overseas NGO Law taking effect. The main difference is that they are now registered with Public Security, and not Civil Affairs.