Civil society in China is diverse and in a state of upheaval. While organizations in the country act quickly and effectively in crises such as earthquakes and epidemics, from an international perspective they tend to act covertly and hand-in-hand with the state. Their approach arises from a different understanding of civil society engagement and a restrictive legal framework, which was extended to civil society exchanges with other countries in 2017. A report on—and an attempt to mediate between – shrinking civil society spaces and the growing need for dialog with China.
