BEIJING Fri Jun 20, 2014 6:18am EDT
An honour guard member is seen behind a red flag during a welcoming ceremony for Kuwait’s Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, June 3, 2014.
CREDIT: REUTERS/PETAR KUJUNZIC
(Reuters) – China has quietly begun a probe into the operations of foreign non-government bodies in the country, to prepare for tighter regulations in future, as part of a security drive ordered by a new national panel headed by President Xi Jinping.
Non-government organizations have mushroomed in China in recent years, and can have a confrontational relationship with the government, especially if they work with sensitive groups, such as sex workers or drug addicts.
Many foreign NGOs also operate in China, though they have traditionally registered as businesses as the approval process is easier. Beijing has treated some of them with suspicion, worried they may try and spread foreign values.
From: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/20/us-china-ngos-idUSKBN0EV0XN20140620