Q1: How are overseas NGOs operating in China and influencing the country? Tell us some prominent cases of overseas NGOs in China.

A:  Let's start from a slogan now widely known in China -- "No buying, no killing". It advocates that Chinese people should STOP buying luxury products made from endangered wild animals, such as ivory products or shark fins, because the market demand incentivizes the killing. With more and more people realizing the bloody truth behind these luxuries, the Chinese government carried out a high-profile crackdown on illegal poaching and smuggling. But few might know that this slogan was first raised in China by a US-based NGO called "the Wild Aid Association". It's one of the few registered overseas NGOs now operating in China, and it has successfully influenced China. But not every overseas NGO's work has been a successful story. The Hong Kong-based "Animals Asia Foundation" is NOT registered in the Mainland. For years, it called for a ban on the use of bear bile for Chinese traditional medicine -- because of possible animal abuse. But it failed to win public trust, because many suspected it of being sponsored by Western pharmaceutical companies, or even some anti-China organizations. There are an estimated 6,000 overseas NGOs now operating in China, but most of them are not registered.

Q2: How are other countries regulating overseas NGOs?

A: Officials from most major countries have expressed concerns over whether overseas NGOs would work against the public interest and national security. Russian President Vladimir Putin said at National Security Council that Russia must ensure Western powers are not using their NGOs to incite riots. He says transparency is a precondition for NGOs to operate. European countries like the UK and Germany also have similar laws. They approve an overseas NGO only when it agrees to have a transparent budget and accept scrutiny. According to a study from the Guangxi Social Sciences Academy, 40 percent of the overseas NGOs in China are from the United States. They cover areas such as charities, religion, civil society and environmental protection. The sensitive part is that if they want to achieve their goals, they have to try to influence the decision making in Chinese politics. But some believe that without registration and scrutiny from the government, there is always suspicion that they are being sponsored by a certain interest group, which may harm the public good and national security.