Steering a Restrictive Course: Rebooting China’s Charity Law

Abstract When it comes to regulating nonprofits and civil society, China is steering a careful and conservative course in the Xi Jinping era, with a laser-like focus on control over civil society. This policy is illustrated clearly in the long-awaited 2023 amendments to the main law that governs the Chinese nonprofit sector, the Charity Law originally enacted in 2016. This article analyzes the key amendments to the Charity Law in 2023, with a focus on implications for charity regulation and management in China.