Chinese government – foundation relations in global perspective: a conceptual comparison

In this conceptual paper, we discuss Chinese foundations in global perspective by reviewing two recent frameworks that aim to capture key dimensions of foundation development and relations with the state. In exploring the overlap and differences in these frameworks, we draw conclusions for new directions that future foundation research in China might take. In particular, Chinese foundation research is still heavily focused on the generation of resources, whereas Western foundation discourses are frequently more occupied with the uses of foundation resources for public purposes and the advantages and disadvantages thereof, including questions over the legitimacy of foundation intervention into public affairs. These discourses are shaped by the relative prominence of grant-making versus operating foundations. While this differentiation has not been adequately introduced in the Chinese foundation literature yet, we explore differences between foundation types by taking a comparative lens to generate new insights into the development of Chinese foundations.