Advocacy in an authoritarian state: How grassroots environmental ngos influence local governments in China

Abstract

While many NGOs in China are seen mainly as service providers working to fulfill state goals, in this article we show that Chinese grassroots environmental NGOs (ENGOs) regularly employ a variety of advocacy strategies to influence local-level government policy. Based on in-depth interviews with ENGOs active in Guangdong, this study examines these groups’ advocacy efforts and considers their implications for the further development of Chinese civil society. Our analysis finds that these groups employ three main advocacy strategies: (1) cultivating a stable, interactive relationship with the government using existing institutional means to communicate their concerns; (2) carefully selecting t..