Chinese NGOs and Global Health Governance: From the Perspective of International Law

Abstract

Since China adheres to the government-led mode at home and Westphalian principle of state sovereignty abroad, Chinese NGOs play an auxiliary and limited role in global health governance. With the process of global civil society movement, and its internal governance reform, China is increasingly propelled by post-Westphalia international law to accept passively or advance actively its NGOs' participation in global health governance, among which GONGOs play a larger role than grassroots NGOs. In fact, Chinese NGOs have made huge progress in urging the government to implement international law on public health. We can see the beginning of how Chinese NGOs are learning to participate in international lawmaking and dispute settlement on public health.