ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the relationship between an emerging civil society and Chinese foreign policy. We are particularly interested in the following three sets of questions. First, is there an emerging civil society in China? If so, what has caused it? What are its key features? How has the open door policy and China’s active foreign policy affected the rise of the civil society in China? Deep reform has created the potential for and contributed to the growth of a vibrant civil society. Professional organizations and citizen groups have multiplied like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Chinese people today are enjoying more personal freedom than they have in any other period in PRC history, but the civil society is still fragile and needs special attention in order to grow.
