China

Since 1999, the

Foundation has sup-

ported hundreds of

thousands of migrant

workers to access criti-

cal rights and services.

LAW AND GOVERNANCE

Over the past 20 years, China has undertaken aseries of milestone administrative law reforms topromote more transparent and democratic gover-nance, including mechanisms for increasing pub-lic participation in lawmaking at the national andsubnational levels. Administrative law regulatesthe actions and procedures of government agen-cies—and dictates how citizens can influence orappeal official decisions—making it central to citizens’ everyday interactions with their govern-ment, from provision of public services to localland-use decisions. China’s reform initiatives have resulted in the passage of several landmarkadministrative laws and regulations that have benefitted ordinary citizens and provided asounder basis for domestic and international business and investment decisions, helping to fuel China’s tremendous economic growth.

PROMOTING TRANSPARENT ANDPARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCEWorking with prominent Chinese law schoolsand government partners, the Foundation is facil-itating the implementation of these importantmeasures. Asia Foundation programs exploreinnovative mechanisms—such as posting draftregulations in taxi cabs and helping to improvegovernment information centers and “government

gazettes”—that make it easier for citizens to accessinformation and participate in governmentprocesses. To complement these efforts, theFoundation and its partners educate the publicabout administrative procedure rights and opengovernment information, and have built capacityand commitment for implementation through in-depth trainings and workshops for hundreds of officials, staff, judges, and legal aid practition-ers. By supporting the establishment of adminis-trative law clinics at law schools, the Foundationis also helping to foster a new generation of legalprofessionals committed to the ideals of participa-tion, transparency, government compliance, andpublic interest law.

Drawing on these law and governance programs,the Foundation is also supporting a majorresearch initiative—the Chinese GovernanceAssessment Project. This study examines changesin public participation, transparency, andaccountability across provinces and assesseswhether these changes correlate with key gover-nance outcomes such as reduced corruption andimproved legal compliance. Ultimately, the pro-ject aims to spur discussion of governance trendsin China among academics, policymakers, anddevelopment practitioners, and it will providevaluable insights to guide reform priorities.

The Foundation is

working with

governmental

agencies and

nongovernmental

organization on various

disaster risk reduction

initiatives in China,

training over 600

officials, 800 academics

and school teachers,

and 1,000 homeowners

since 2005.

The Asia Foundation

has been programming

in China since 1979.

China’s economic transformation presents new challenges both for the country’s rapidly changing soci-ety and for the government, which has undertaken reforms to promote the rule of law, curb pollution, andencourage more broad-based development. To help address these challenges and contribute to reforms,The Asia Foundation’s China program supports programs related to law and governance, environmentalprotection, women’s empowerment, disaster management, and constructive U.S.-China relations.

CHINA

STRENGTHENING THE RULE OF LAWIn October 2012 the Foundation began implementing afour-year project aimed at strengthening the rule of lawin China. The Justice Under the Rule of Law in Society(JURIS) project aims to decrease barriers to access tojustice by making citizens more aware of their legalrights, increasing their access to legal assistance, andimproving the capability of legal professionals to protectrights. Under this project, the Foundation is workingwith law schools and legal aid centers to support reformprocesses in administrative law and administrative pro-cedure in several cities and provinces across China.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Rapid growth over the last 30 years haspositioned China as the world’s secondlargest economy—and contributed directly toits status as the world’slargest emitter of green-house gases. China’s economic rise has had aprofound impact on other aspects of its environment aswell. For example, China’s Ministry of Water Resourcesrecently estimated that 20 percent of the country’s riversare now too toxic for human contact. One of the biggestchallenges facing China today is the need to balance theeconomic growth that has lifted 500 million people outof poverty with environmental protections that ensuresuch growth does not come at the expense of the coun-try’s environment and, ultimately, the health of its people.

The Asia Foundation’s environmental strategy aims tobuild local environmental protection capacity and toencourage policy and technological innovations throughincreased dialogue and communication among stake-holders. The Foundation’s programs in China havetrained officials from municipal environmental protec-tion bureaus (EPBs), judges from people’s courts, andrepresentatives from environmental organizations on the use of alternative dispute resolution for the increas-ing number of conflicts over environmental pollution.Other programs supports work in southern China tobetter engage small and medium-sized enterprises in low carbon economy planning at the city level.

IMPROVING ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATIONTRANSPARENCYPartnering with research institutes, local EPBs, civil society organizations, and business associations, theFoundation is also helping to implement milestone

directives on environmental information transparencyand public participation in environmental decision-making, which the central government issued in 2008and 2009. In four diverse pilot cities, the Foundationand its partners are working to foster constructive collaboration among government, civil society, and business. Drawing on the Foundation’s extensive workto strengthen good governance in China, the projectaims to develop and test practical mechanisms by whichthe public can access information about local pollutionor make their voices heard in decisions about local environmental issues.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Floods, droughts, earthquakes, and typhoonscontinue to pose serious threats to life andproperty across China. The 2008 earthquakethat struck Sichuan province, for example,killed at least 69,000 people and left 15 mil-lion homeless. Officials estimate that in 2012alone natural disasters killed 1,338 people,displaced over 11 million citizens, damaged or destroyed more than 5 million homes, andcaused damage valued at over US$66 billion.

BUILDING RESIL IENCE AND INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITYWhile the risks posed by natural disasters cannot beentirely eliminated, preparation and risk managementare key to minimizing immediate and long-term damage.From 2006 to 2011, the Foundation worked withnational and local agencies, Chinese and American busi-ness associations, and Chinese charity organizations tostrengthen disaster management at the community level,mobilizing private sector contributions and involvingstakeholders from across sectors in training courses,drills, and awareness campaigns. Recognizing the successof the project and the potential of its approach, theChinese government named several of the project’s pilotcommunities as models for the development of a nation-wide system of community-based disaster reduction. Bythe end of 2012, there were over 1,200 such communi-ties around China, and the central government aims todevelop a total of 5,000 by the end of 2015. In thewake of this project, the Ministry of Civil Affairs alsoissued Regulations on the Relief of Natural Disasters,which encourages village committees, community centers, businesses, NGOs, and the public to assist in natural disaster relief efforts.

In Sichuan and Gansu provinces, site of the devastating2008 earthquake, the Foundation has both assisted inrecovery efforts and helped prepare communities forfuture disasters. The Foundation is now refining and

replicating community-based disaster management practices in several provinces, particularly in rural communities. Many activities focus on schools, whereimprovements can have a significant impact both byincreasing the immediate safety of students and staff and by serving as a catalyst for similar efforts in the wider community.

The Foundation also works closely with the recently established National Institute of EmergencyManagement (NIEM), which is tasked with leadingChina’s efforts on disaster management training, policyresearch, and advisory support. Collaborating with key institutions like the U.S. Federal EmergencyManagement Agency, the Foundation is helping to build NIEM’s capacity through curriculum development,training of NIEM faculty, and courses for national andlocal officials that are led jointly by newly trained faculty and their American colleagues.

SUPPORTING CHINA’S ROLE IN REGIONAL DISASTER ASSISTANCEAs China develops the capacity of its disaster manage-ment system at home, it is also assisting other countriesto do the same. China’s experience responding to a wide range of severe natural disasters provides valuableinsights for planning, response and mitigation strategiesacross the region. The Asia Foundation has supportedthe participation of Chinese foreign aid experts in amulti-year dialogue series, Asian Approaches toDevelopment Cooperation, that addresses disaster management and other development issues. TheFoundation is now supporting Chinese efforts to examine the country’s approach to foreign disaster assistance in particular—introducing Chinese policy-makers to international disaster assistance models andexploring mechanisms for coordination and increasedcommunication between China and other donor countries. Building on this work, the Foundation is also working with NIEM to enhance China’s engage-ment on disaster management in the ASEAN region.The new program facilitates triangular cooperationbetween U.S., Thai, and Chinese experts on trainingprograms for officials and practitioners, and increasednetworking of disaster management experts and traininginstitutes across ASEAN countries.

CHARITY SECTOR STRENGTHENING

One direct outcome of the 2008 earthquake – dramaticphilanthropic growth in China – highlighted both thevast potential and institutional weaknesses in China’scharitable sector. Taking advantage of recent develop-ments, including government policy initiatives, The Asia

Foundation is building on its longstanding work tostrengthen the charity sector in China. With the ChinaPhilanthropy Research Institute at Beijing NormalUniversity, the Non-Profit Incubator, Peking University,and other partners, the Foundation is working toimprove the sector’s regulatory framework, strengthenthe governance and financial management practices ofcharitable organizations, and build societal capacity tooversee charitable sector development. To facilitate theseefforts, the Foundation has helped launch platforms thatencourage mutual learning among the charitable sectorsof Mainland China, Hong Kong, and the United States.

EMPOWERING WOMEN AND DISADVANTAGED

GROUPS

SUPPORTING MIGRANT WORKERS IN THEIRRECEIVING COMMUNITIESEach year, millions of rural Chinese migrate to China’smajor manufacturing hubs in search of employment anda better life. Half of these migrants are young women.Most are in their twenties, have limited education orwork experience, have limited knowledge of their laborrights under Chinese law, and are unaware of social ser-vices and networks available to them. These conditionsleave migrant women vulnerable to labor exploitationand abuse.

Since 1999, The Asia Foundation has implemented pioneering programs that support and protect migrantworkers in China (particularly women) by increasingawareness of labor rights and occupational safety,improving worker-manager communications and grievance channels, providing legal aid, strengtheningenforcement of existing labor laws, facilitating integra-tion of migrant women into their new communities,and giving migrant women the opportunity to enhancetheir professional skills and continue their education.Using both in-factory and community-based approaches,our innovative programs have reached over one millionmigrant workers in more than 20 provinces/municipali-ties across China.

For the children of migrant workers, access to publicschools and critical college entrance exams in theirurban “receiving” communities is often limited, creatinganother challenge to the wellbeing of migrant workersand their families. This issue is the subject of increasingattention and debate in China, as some long-term residents of cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, andGuangzhou worry that migrants are overwhelming thecapacity of local social services. As a contribution to thisimportant discussion, the Foundation is conductingpublic and expert opinion surveys on policy reforms in

this area piloted by Guangdong province, anddeveloping policy recommendations based on theresearch findings.

INCREASING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITYRecognizing that economic empowerment is key to poverty alleviation, the Foundation alsosupports women and other disadvantaged groupsto explore new economic opportunities, improvetheir livelihoods, and identify and address long-term development issues in their own communi-ties. For example, the Foundation has workedwith local partners in the aftermath of naturaldisasters to increase women’s income-generationopportunities and to establish women’s groupsthat help lead planning and implementation of community recovery and rebuilding. TheFoundation’s programs also foster entrepreneur-ship among migrant women, supporting them tostart or improve small businesses through provi-sion of training and micro-credit.

BILATERAL EXCHANGE AND REGIONAL

COOPERATION

The Asia Foundation has long supported pro-grams to improve U.S.-China relations, focusingon exchanges and dialogues. Since 1980, over 90 emerging leaders from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have taken part in theFoundation’s Young Diplomats Program, com-pleting a one-year master’s degree in internationalrelations at a prestigious American university.This fellowship program has enlarged the community of Chinese foreign policy practition-ers who understand the substance and process ofU.S. foreign policy, including its domestic deter-minants, and has contributed to better informedand more constructive engagement on bilateralissues over time. Program alumni have gone on to serve as Vice Ministers, Directors General, andAmbassadors around the globe.

Through a distinguished visitors program, theFoundation also organizes short-term study toursthat are custom-designed for senior governmentofficials. One program participant from theMinistry of Environmental Protection focused onthe role of government and the media in promot-ing environmental awareness and education.Since 2000, the Foundation has also supported

ten Chinese journalists as L.Z. Yuan Fellows topursue media and foreign affairs studies in theUnited States.

In recent years, the Foundation has introducedreciprocal program elements that increase oppor-tunities for Americans to visit and study in China. Study tours and internships in China forAmerican graduate students, as well as researchaffiliations in China for young, up-and-comingAmerican professors, build understanding andcommitment to two-way exchange among thenext generation of “China hands.”

The Foundation’s China program also organizesconferences and workshops to enhance regionalcooperation and improve U.S. relations withChina and its neighbors. These have includedannual dialogues on “Sino-United StatesRelations: Regional Security and GlobalGovernance,” which have alternated betweenShanghai and Honolulu and gathered prominentexperts from China and the U.S. to examine keyissues affecting bilateral ties—including suchglobal governance topics as climate change, for-eign aid policy, and regional disaster management.

BOOKS FOR ASIA

As Chinaemerges as a dynamic player in the worldeconomy,with a moremobile and

educated workforce and advancing research capabilities, the demand for English-languagebooks is multiplying. The Asia Foundation’sBooks for Asia program has delivered more than3.8 million books and journals to China since1980. Each year, donations reach hundreds ofcolleges and universities across all of China’sprovinces. The vast majority of the books are university-level, professional texts related to critical development topics—such as economicsand finance, business, engineering, medicine,nursing, architecture, and computer science.

HEADQUARTERS465 California Street, 9th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94104 USATel: (415) 982-4640Fax: (415) 392-8863info@asiafound.org

WASHINGTON, DC1779 Massachusetts Ave., NWSuite 815Washington, D.C. 20036 USATel: (202) 588-9420Fax: (202) 588-9409info@asiafound-dc.org

CHINABEIJINGSuite 1905, Building No. 1Henderson Center18 Jianguomennei AvenueBeijing 100005, ChinaTel: (86-10) 65183868Fax: (86-10) 65183869beijing@asiafound.org.cn

HONG KONGc/o Hong Kong-America Center Room 503, Esther Lee Building Chung Chi College Chinese University of Hong Kong Shatin, N.T. Hong KongTel: (852) 2971-0889Fax: (852) 2971- 0773tafhongkong@asiafound.org

www.asiafoundation.org

09/2013

The Asia Foundation’s programs in China are funded by a broad range of public and private donors, including: The Boeing Company; The Ford Foundation;Give2Asia; The Henry Luce Foundation; The Kylin TV Foundation, Inc.; members of the Lotus Circle; The Levi Strauss Foundation; Royal Netherlands Embassy, inChina; Two Ten Footwear Foundation; USAID; U.S. Department of State; and various individual donors.

The Asia Foundation

is a nonprofit international

development organization

committed to improving

lives across a dynamic

and developing Asia.

Headquartered in San

Francisco, The Asia

Foundation works through

a network of offices in

18 Asian countries and in

Washington, DC. Working

with public and private

partners, the Foundation

receives funding from

a diverse group of

bilateral and multilateral

development agencies,

foundations, corporations,

and individuals.