The contested role of foreign and domestic foundations in the PRC: policies, positions, paradigms, power

This research paper examines how foundations—foreign and domestic, public and private, operating and grant making engage with Chinese civil society organisations in an authoritarian political context. In contrast to previous literature, which considers civil society through the lens of state-society relations, the author contends that in the case of China, civil society-building has been a foundation-led process. Following a discussion of conceptual caveats in the nascent field of foundation research, the author traces how China’s evolving policy framework has influenced the development trajectories, legal statuses and modes of operation of both foreign and domestic foundations. The empirical part of the paper focuses on foundation positions, paradigms and power. Based on 12 in-depth interviews conducted in 2014 with foundation representatives and CSO leaders, this research reveals how foreign and domestic foundations position themselves vis-à vis the party-state, market and civil society; how they understand philanthropy; and how they deal with the power imbalance in the relationship between grant maker and grantee. Research findings show that foundations have different value propositions, visions and missions, as well as different theories of change, which determine their philanthropic approaches. Foreign and domestic foundation representatives primarily follow a paradigm of conventional charity, managerial philanthropy, or political philanthropy. Findings from this research raise a number of pertinent questions about the likely impacts of China’s controversial Overseas NGO Law on foreign and domestic foundations and their grantees

New strategies of civil society in China: a case study of the network governance approach

Since the turn of the millennium a second generation of Chinese civil society organisations (CSO) have started taking on issues such as rural migrant integration, social service provision, as well as community building. Organisations such as Beijing-based Shining Stone Community Action (SSCA) can be seen as the avant-garde of a second wave of humanistic, community-based CSO which are willing to help improve the strained state-society relationship in the People´s Republic of China (PR China). In order to advance their values and interests civil society practitioners are willing to engage with Chinese government officials. By gaining the trust of First-in-Command (FIC) cadres they manage to introduce ideas such as the principle of subsidiarity, solidarity and reciprocity. Civil society practitioners thereby initiate open-ended processes of communication, consultation and cooperation. Such processes help promote cross-sector collaboration between Chinese civil society organisations and local government agencies. These developments signify an incremental change from government control (guanzhi) to public management (guanli) and to network governance (zhili). As a framework for the case study the authors look at strategies for the establishment of cooperative relations, focusing on steering mechanisms and process factors. In order to further understand the dynamics of cross-sector collaboration they further explore the social capital dimensions of the principle of reciprocity and trust. To evaluate outcomes and impacts of cross-sector collaboration, the authors discuss the ability of collaboration partners to produce tangible results and to innovate. The findings show that successful experiments with cross-sector collaboration not only depend on structural factors but also on the skills and strategies of the individuals and organisations involved

Vice-Chancellors should welcome staff participation in the governance of their university’s international partnerships

Universities and higher education institutions in the UK have a more international profile than at any prior point in their existence. As a consequence, they face entanglement in geopolitical issues. In this post, Andreas Fulda, John Heathershaw and Andrew Chubb argue for the increased involvement of academic staff in decision making surrounding internationalisation and for the greater use of academic expertise in guiding university policies in this area

The Chinese Communist Party’s Hybrid Interference and Germany’s Increasingly Contentious China Debate (2018-21)

The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ambition to neutralise independent academia at home and abroad is the conundrum at the heart of this article. Based on a review of the literature on sharp power, hybrid interference, the United Front system and the CCP’s globalising censorship regime the author argues that the CCP’s rule by fear has already induced self-censorship among many western academics. In the empirical part the author puts the spotlight on an increasingly contentious debate among China experts in Germany (2018-21). This expert debate on China takes place across websites, journals, interviews, public talks, public statements of learned societies as well as oral and written testimonies of China scholars at parliamentary committees. Seen in its entirety, Germany’s public China discourse reveals an unwillingness to face up to the changed political realities of Xi’s hard authoritarian China. The article concludes with recommendations on how to overcome arbitrary limitations imposed by the CCP’s political censorship

The emergence of citizen diplomacy in EU-China relations: principles, pillars, pioneers, paradoxes

This analysis considers the phenomenon of citizen diplomacy in European Union [EU]–China relations. It begins by engaging with the global discourse about “new” diplomacy and outlines how society-centric citizen diplomacy differs from state-centric public diplomacy. After revealing that European policy-makers are only reluctantly acknowledging the role of laymen in foreign policy-making vis-à-vis China, it shows that whilst citizen diplomacy may be a new concept in EU–China relations, it is actually not a new practice. The empirical part of the exegesis traces the experiential learning amongst 12 European citizen diplomats who have engaged China in the activity fields of disability; psychoanalysis; non-governmental organisation twinning; human rights; climate change mitigation; welfare of orphans, abandoned disabled children and young people; youth dialogue; public participation; animal welfare; and inclusive performing arts. The final part makes use of the newly developed hexagon of intercultural communication and collaboration competence to reveal how the European citizen diplomats have managed to navigate the sometimes-treacherous political-administrative landscape in mainland China. European citizen diplomats have made manifold and often surprising contributions to China’s multifaceted development

Phase effects due to beam misalignment on diffraction gratings

All-reflective interferometer configurations have been proposed for the next generation of gravitational wave detectors, with diffractive elements replacing transmissive optics. However, an additional phase noise creates more stringent conditions for alignment stability. A framework for alignment stability with the use of diffractive elements was required using a Gaussian model. We successfully create such a framework involving modal decomposition to replicate small displacements of the beam (or grating) and show that the modal model does not contain the phase changes seen in an otherwise geometric planewave approach. The modal decomposition description is justified by verifying experimentally that the phase of a diffracted Gaussian beam is independent of the beam shape, achieved by comparing the phase change between a zero-order and first-order mode beam. To interpret our findings we employ a rigorous time-domain simulation to demonstrate that the phase changes resulting from a modal decomposition are correct, provided that the coordinate system which measures the phase is moved simultaneously with the effective beam displacement. This indeed corresponds to the phase change observed in the geometric planewave model. The change in the coordinate system does not instinctively occur within the analytical framework, and therefore requires either a manual change in the coordinate system or an addition of the geometric planewave phase factor.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Optics Expres

The logic and limits of the Party’s social management approach in maintaining stability: lessons from Bismarck

This book examines the driving forces behind national-level politics, changes to the judiciary, social control, economic reform, environmental protection, urban development, the management of ethnic relations, as well as foreign and security policy orientation in China under Xi Jinping. It explains Xi's ambition, examines the limitations he has to confront, and maps the direction of reform he pursues. The book starts off by examining how the consultative Leninist nature of the political system continues to shape politics and policy in China under Xi, and what the China dream Xi advocates actually entails domestically and beyond China. It ends by highlighting the megatrends that will prevail in the decade when Xi is expected to stay in power. The book also includes contributions from five Central Party School professors whose views are taken seriously by the Chinese leadership

The contested role of foreign and domestic foundations in the PRC: policies, positions, paradigms, power

This research paper examines how foundations—foreign and domestic, public and private, operating and grant making engage with Chinese civil society organisations in an authoritarian political context. In contrast to previous literature, which considers civil society through the lens of state-society relations, the author contends that in the case of China, civil society-building has been a foundation-led process.Following a discussion of conceptual caveats in the nascent field of foundation research, the author traces how China’s evolving policy framework has influenced the development trajectories, legal statuses and modes of operation of both foreign and domestic foundations.The empirical part of the paper focuses on foundation positions, paradigms and power. Based on 12 in-depth interviews conducted in 2014 with foundation representatives and CSO leaders, this research reveals how foreign and domestic foundations position themselves vis-à vis the party-state, market and civil society; how they understand philanthropy; and how they deal with the power imbalance in the relationship between grant maker and grantee.Research findings show that foundations have different value propositions, visions and missions, as well as different theories of change, which determine their philanthropic approaches. Foreign and domestic foundation representatives primarily follow a paradigm of conventional charity, managerial philanthropy, or political philanthropy. Findings from this research raise a number of pertinent questions about the likely impacts of China’s controversial Overseas NGO Law on foreign and domestic foundations and their grantees