Disentangling the Myth of Nonprofit–Government Relations in China

• Author: Chao Guo,Zhibin Zhang
• DOI: 10.1177/0095399720965555
• Published date: 01 January 2021
• Date: 01 January 2021
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399720965555

Administration & Society

2021, Vol. 53(1) 4 –12

© The Author(s) 2020

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DOI: 10.1177/0095399720965555

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Article

Disentangling the Myth of

Nonprofit–Government

Relations in China

Zhibin Zhang1 and Chao Guo2

Abstract

The evolving nonprofit–government relations in China have attracted

increasing attention from scholars over the past four decades. The complexity

and fluidity of the relations, however, pose substantial challenges to analysis.

Recently, to disentangle the myth of the important relationships, research has

been progressing primarily in three directions toward greater methodological

diversity, stronger focus on the behaviors of nonprofit organizations vis-à-

vis the governments, and more research synthesis. This symposium brings

together three studies that represent these trends. After providing a brief

historical overview of the study on nonprofit–government relations in China,

individual contributions to this symposium are characterized.

Keywords

nonprofit–government relations, China, complexity, research trends

Studying Nonprofit–Government Relations in

China

China’s nonprofit and voluntary sector has been on the rise since the eco-

nomic reform and open-door policy launched in the late 1970s. In four

decades, the sector has grown from virtually nonexistence to more than

1Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia

2University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA

Corresponding Author:

Zhibin Zhang, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University,

Social Science South 328, Bedford Park 5042, Australia.

Email: zhibin.zhang@flinders.edu.au

965555AASXXX10.1177/0095399720965555Administration & SocietyZhang and Guo

research-article2020