On January 17th 2017, the Administrative Office of Overseas NGOs of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau issued registration certificates to the first six representative offices of overseas NGOs in Shanghai. Now a second batch of overseas NGOs, larger and active in more different fields, have officially acquired their certificates on April 1st.
This time a total of eight overseas NGOs were able to register their representative offices in Shanghai, including the US Cotton Council International, the US International Trademark Association, the US International Copper Association, the Spanish Association for the Investigation of Industrial Textile, the US Soybean Export Council, the US Poultry & Egg Export Council, the US Meat Export Federation and the US Advanced Medical Technology Association. As it can be seen, these organizations are mostly active in the areas of agricultural products, the metal industry and medical treatment, rather than other sectors more traditionally associated with NGOs.
China’s new law on overseas NGOs took effect on January 1st 2017, and it requires that every overseas NGO in China should register with the Public Security Bureau, as well as finding a government department to be its Supervisory Unit. This prospect has been causing some uncertainty among the international NGO community.
The Administrative Office of Overseas NGOs of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau is known to have set up a separate service counter to provide services and help to overseas NGOs in need. According to Xie Wei, a policeman working in that office, more than 100 overseas NGOs from around 20 countries and regions have come to their counter with inquiries since January 1st
