The Emergence of Social Corporatism in China: Nonprofit Organizations, Private Foundations, and the State*

During the past two decades, one of the most significant phenomena in the Chinese social sector has been the proliferation of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and private foundations. The two dominant approaches to interpret state-society relations (state corporatism and liberal civil society) are insufficient to explain their relations with the Chinese state. This article revives and tests an understudied model, social corporatism, by presenting two detailed case studies on Non-Profit Incubator (NPI) and China Foundation Center (CFC). The two agencies serve as new intermediary organizations in interest representation and intermediation between the state and NPOs and private foundations. In line with the three indicators of social corporatism, NPI and CFC were initiated in a bottom-up or spontaneous manner, enhanced the social integration in NPOs and private foundations, and facilitated the enactment of five new government policies. The two cases support the applicability of social corporatism in explaining NPO–government and private foundation–government relations in China.