China mulls new law to regulate overseas NGOs

Xu Yulu, a teacher at the Disabled Person's Rehabilitation Center in Beijing, interacts with a mentally disabled man. China is working with NGOs to educate disabled youngsters and their parents to provide a better understanding of the relationship between sexuality and their physical and mental conditions. Wang Jing / China Daily

BEIJING - A new bill to regulate overseas nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) was tabled for its first reading on Monday.

The bill on NGOs based outside the Chinese mainland was submitted to the bi-monthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which runs Monday to Sunday.

Overseas NGOs will have to register with and be approved by Chinese authorities if they want to set up representative offices in the mainland or temporarily operate on the mainland for a certain program, said Yang Huanning, vice minister of public security, while elaborating the bill to lawmakers.

The bill aims to regulate the activities of overseas NGOs in China, protect their legal rights and interests, and promote exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreigners, Yang said.