Chinese NGOs “Going Out”: Depoliticisation and Diplomatisation

Abstract

Chinese non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are increasingly active in international development activities. As an emerging force, what will their impact be on global civil society, especially given that they originate from an authoritarian environment that places numerous constraints on them? This study examines the internationalisation of Chinese NGOs and its implications for global civil society by analysing the organisational discourses of Chinese NGOs. This discourse analysis relies on a two-layer analytical framework, one layer using qualitative content analysis and the other employing the discursive legitimation framework. The analysis shows that Chinese NGOs use soft charity discourses instead of critical discourses as a way to avoid “politicising” development issues and utilise discourses that diplomatise their international activities. These discourses help Chinese NGOs achieve legitimacy or avoid de-legitimacy through four discursive legitimation strategies: avoidance, authority, rationalisation, and moralisation. This article shows that Chinese NGOs express a strong national identity, position themselves as “friendship messengers,” and bring the Chinese state’s influence to global civil society even though the Chinese state has not yet mobilised internationalisation at scale.