Civil society is tentatively welcoming China’s first law governing charitable and philanthropic activity, passed in March and likely to go into effect in September. The new rules will shape and define the sector, whose contribution to development is now acknowledged by the government, one analyst told Devex.
“This is the first law that came out that really regulates the charitable or philanthropic sector … so it’s very important,” said Shawn Shieh, deputy director of development and operations at Hong Kong-based China Labor Bulletin. “It sends a signal that the government recognizes that this is an important issue and that they have acted on that by making the law.”
The new policy (English translation by China Law Translate) recognizes that charitable and philanthropic activities are crucial to help “promote social progress” and achieve the country’s development goals and objectives. That acknowledgment alone is being welcomed by advocates who have been pushing for a similar policy since 2008.
About the author
Lean Alfred Santos@DevexLeanAS
Lean Alfred Santos is a former Devex development reporter focusing on the development community in Asia-Pacific, including major players such as the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. He previously covered Philippine and international business and economic news, sports and politics.
