Implementing the Overseas NGO Law - Six NGOs Register in Shanghai

The Overseas NGO Law went into effect on January 1 without so much as a whimper. Slowly, we’re beginning to see signs of the implementation machinery and process being rolled out in various provinces.  Shanghai is taking the lead, which is no surprise given that the first news conferences about the law’s implementation took place in Shanghai. The website (http://ngo.police.sh.cn:8081/xxfb/f) of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau’s Overseas NGO Management Office also seems to be the furthest along with both Chinese and English content.  Even the Ministry of Public Security’s Overseas NGO Service and Management Platform (http://ngo.mps.gov.cn/ngo/portal/index.do) is as of this writing still only in Chinese.

In addition, according to a January 17 news report, the first six overseas NGOs registering a representative office under the new law did so in Shanghai (http://www.shobserver.com/news/detail?id=42540 (Chinese only)). Those six NGOs were Project HOPE (美国世界健康基金会), the Hong Kong Yin Shin Leung Charitable Foundation(香港应善良基金会), the U.S.-China Business Council (美国美中贸易全国委员会), the Canada China Business Council (加拿大加中贸易理事会), the Russian Federation Chamber of Commerce and Industry (俄罗斯联邦工商会), and the Confederation of Indian Industry (上海代表处和印度工业联合会).

Guangdong is another province that has set up its Overseas NGO Management Office and a website (http://www.gdga.gov.cn/ngos/#sthash.qBX8HO7W.dpuf) still in Chinese at this writing.

Conventus Law’s website (http://www.conventuslaw.com/report/china-ngo-provincial-directories-gradually/) has a useful announcement about the implementation of the law, including information that provinces are now coming up with their own directories of PSUs, and fields of activity.  They also note that Shanghai and Shenzhen have been designated by the MPS as the two cities piloting implementation of the law, although I have not see this confirmed yet elsewhere.