According to information provided on the Ministry of Public Security’s website, four new overseas NGOs officially registered representative offices in Beijing on December 2, bringing the total number of representative offices of overseas NGOs in Mainland China to 514. The four latest organisations to register are the Southwest Research Institute (US), the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers (Hong Kong), the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation (Hong Kong), and the World Cement Association (United Kingdom).
None of the four organisations work in fields traditionally associated with civil society. The Southwest Research Institute is an independent organisation for applied research and development headquartered in Texas, which provides contract research services for governments and industrial clients in the fields of science and engineering. The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers is a body that has the mission of serving the banking community by providing training and development opportunities. The Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation is a Hong Kong-based NGO that bestows an annual prize upon Chinese scientists with funds donated by charitable foundations started by local entrepreneurs. The World Cement Association is a membership-based association that represents the interests of the cement industry. Although it was officially established in the UK, it appears to be based mainly in China.
In 2019 the registration of new offices by overseas NGOs has slowed down considerably, particularly when it comes to organisations not involved in trade or trade-related fields. You can find the full list of registered overseas NGOs in Mainland China on our website.
