Environmental Activism in Provincial China

Abstract

Environmental activism and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are not limited to major cities, but have gradually taken root in provincial and local politics in China. This paper compares the development and characteristics of environmental activism in Guangdong province and Guangxi autonomous region, with the aim of shedding light on the causes of regional disparities in this field. With extensive and strong ties to peer organizations across issue areas within the province, grassroots environmental groups in Guangdong have grown as an integral part of local civil society. They have survived, through mutual-support, on a larger scale than those in Guangxi. Also, with a higher level of networking and capacity, environmental NGOs in Guangdong are more able to utilize the new opportunities offered by recent institutional reforms in social management and environmental protection in the province. The paper, thus, challenges the argument that over-emphasizes the domination of the state and points out that inter-organizational partnerships and the overall maturity of the civil society sector contribute most to the uneven development of grassroots environmental activism.

Keywords:

• Environmental activism
• civil society
• non-governmental organization
• inter-organizational connections
• China

Notes

There is so far a clear disconnection in practice between the two kinds of citizens' actions in contemporary China. Protests by rural farmers or urban residents affected by industrial pollution or large-scale infrastructure construction broke out in China as early as the 1980s and became common in the 1990s (Jing, 2000). They can be better explained by the concept of ‘rightful resistance’ coined by O'Brien & Li (2006) rather than so-called ‘NIMBYism’ (Not-In-My-Back-Yard). In recent prototype NIMBY campaigns, as shown by the detailed studies of Johnson (2010) and Van Rooij (2010), the activist community has been cautious and made conscious decisions to avoid being directly or fully involved. Also, the campaigners emerging from residential communities, who may have succeeded in protecting their own interests and neighbourhood, usually do not turn into committed environmentalists to pursue long-term or policy changes (Stern, 2008; Zhu & Ho, 2008).

These surveys were conducted independently by three NGOs, FoN—the most recognized environmental NGO in China, GSEAN (Jixi)—a nationwide network of university-based groups and NGOCN—a web-based non-profit enterprise serving the entire community of civil society.

Hu Jintao's speech at the 17th Congress of Chinese Communist Party, 24 October 2007. Available at http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2007-10/24/content_6938568.htm (accessed 22 November 2012).

Guo Hong, director of the 5.12 Non-Governmental Relief Service Centre in Chengdu city, which coordinated all NGO efforts in helping the affected communities in Sichuan province since 2008, concurred with this observation about the environmental NGOs when interviewed on 28 April 2012.

Two of these awards are sponsored by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, i.e. the ‘China Environmental Protection Award’ and the ‘Green Chinese Award’ (lvse zhongguo niandu renwu) (2005–2009). The others include the China Earth Award (1997–2003) co-sponsored by the Hong Kong environmental NGO Friends of the Earth and the China National Association of Journalists, the Ford Motor Environmental Award (2000–2008), sponsored by Ford Motor (China) Ltd. and the SEE TNC Award (2007–2009), sponsored by the Beijing-based NGO, the Alxa Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology (a.k.a. A La Shan) and the China office of an American NGO, The Nature Conservancy. The latter three clearly give greater priority to non-state-affiliated individuals and organizations.

Interview in Nanning, 10 May 2008.

Interviews in Nanning on 10 and 12 May 2008 and follow-up phone interviews since then, until March 2011.

Office visits in Guangzhou on 18 July 2008 and 13 March 2012.

Interview in Hong Kong in December 2011.

Interview in Nanning, 3 May 2008.

The Shenzhen government launched an official website called ‘Living Environment’ (renju huanjing wang) to encourage the public to process requests, access official information and submit feedback: http://www.szhec.gov.cn.

In his most recent official visit to Singapore in June 2012, ‘social innovation’ and ‘public participation’ were among the priority tasks for discussion and learning. (http://zt.my/News/NewsShow-42054.html)

Interviews with Mr Huang, the executive director of a Guangzhou-based private charity, and Mr Zhang, the founding director of the Green Point in Hong Kong, May 2012. The 2012 August issue of the China Youth Environmental Review, an independent publication widely acclaimed among environmentalists, published Wang Yang's idea of minzhu huanbao in detail. (http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/articlelist_1882201622_3_1.html)

Phone interview, 25 July 2011.

Interview in Guangzhou, 17 July 2008.