An Analysis Of The Role Of Non - Governmental Organizations In China - ASEAN Countries' Relations

With the further deepening of globalization, people around world face more and more challenges. Although nations or governments are the main players in the international community, they could not solve all the problems only by themselves. The Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) have played an increasingly important role in the international community. NGOs not only make contributions to addressing environmental, human rights, security and other global issues, but also have impact on international relations, geopolitics and China’s diplomacy.In recent years, ASEAN countries have been increasingly significant for China’s diplomacy, meanwhile, NGOs have also increasingly affect the relations between China and ASEAN countries. To have a further understanding on the NGOs’role, the theory of Transnational Advocacy Network will be used in this thesis to analysis three cases:the environmental advocacy networks and China—Myanmar energy cooperation, the human rights advocacy networks and the incident of Uyghurs" retention in Southeast Asia, NGOs and South China Sea disputes. According to the analysisof the cases, the characters of the transnational advocacy networksin ASEAN could be summarized as:International Non-governmental Organizations play a leading role in the establishment of transnational advocacy networks;the issues which are advocated by the networks could always be interpreted as "right or wrong" issues; NGOs in the networks have different kinds of ways to advocate. Transnational advocacy networks will be established when different NGOs focus on the same issue. The NGOs in the networks send related information to the public and decision— makers. The public opinion will be affected and then the pressure will be put on ASEAN countries’China policy. Moral leverage and material leverage are used by NGOs during this process.NGOs have brought a series of negative effects onChina-ASEAN countries relations, what’s more, the development of NGOs and the transformation ofASEAN societyprobably bring more challenges for the China—ASEAN countries relations in the future.We should take measures such asdestructuringthe networks that bring negative effects,encouraging Chinese NGOs to establish transnational networks etc.