Paper details

Paper authors	Yingjie Zhao
In panel on	Humanitarianism from below: analysing the views, values and practices of local and national aid actors
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

With the emergence of China’s “Going Out” policy, Chinese NGOs have attempted to expand their international role in recent decades, positioning themselves as providers of social welfare and basic services, especially in Africa. Due to the increasing phenomenon of displacement in Africa, and influenced by the changing international humanitarian environment, the focus of Chinese NGOs has transformed from satisfying the basic needs of recipients to paying more attention to capacity-building and sustainable economic development. China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA), which is one of the largest and the most representative of NGOs in China, has conducted numerous projects in African countries, in particular in Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda. This paper seeks to understand the shifting terrain of Chinese NGO involvement in humanitarian assistance in Africa via the case of CFPA. By looking at the engagement and practices of CFPA in Africa, it becomes clear that although faced with some significant challenges, Chinese NGOs are capable of “teaching how to fish”; that is to help people in crisis contexts alongside achieving sustainable development. This paper suggests that Chinese NGOs may be growing as an influential force within the international humanitarian arena.

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