Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Strategic State Engagement in Transnational Activism: AIDS prevention in China

2011; Routledge; Volume: 20; Issue: 71 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/10670564.2011.587162

1469-9400

Fengshi Wu,

International Development and Aid

Abstract Existing literature on transnational activism highlights the contention between the targeted state and the advocacy actors, and the leveraged politics enabled through a third party. Based on an empirical study of transnational activism related to AIDS prevention in China, this paper argues that when the targeted government is not susceptible to inter-governmental pressure or international media exposure, external advocacy actors do not cease to be relevant to domestic politics. On the contrary, their role becomes more crucial under such conditions in terms of both immediate adjustments of practices at the community level and accumulative effects on long-term policy changes. This study has found that international non-governmental organizations and private foundations have employed various types of methods to strategically engage Chinese governmental agencies and officials for urgent relief delivery and opportunity of policy advocacy. Notes *Fengshi Wu is Assistant Professor in the Department of Government and Public Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She specializes in transnational relations, civil society development and environmental politics in China. Her most recent publications include 'Environmental politics in China: an issue area in review', Journal of Chinese Political Science 14(4), (2009), pp. 383–406; 'China's growing ecological footprint: global threat or opportunity for collaboration?' (co-authored), in Paul J. Bolt et al., eds, Strategies for Meeting 21st Century Security Threats: Perspectives from the United States, Russia and China (New York: Palgrave, 2008), pp. 70–88; 'Global regime formation or complex institution building? The principled content of international river agreements' (co-authored), International Studies Quarterly 50(2), (2006), pp. 263–285. She can be reached by email at wufengshi@cuhk.edu.hk 1. 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Fengshi Wu, Double-Mobilization: Transnational Advocacy Networks for China's Environment and Public Health, Ph.D. dissertation, University of Maryland, 2005. 7. The only exceptions are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the William J. Clinton Foundation. The former has committed US$50 million (over a five-year period) and the latter US$10 million (over a three-year period) donations to China for AIDS prevention since the year 2004. The average funding from the rest of the international NGOs and foundations is usually below US$200,000 per year. Bilateral assistance for AIDS prevention from the UK, USA, Canadian and Australian governments alone was close to US$70 million from 2000 to 2007. The Global Fund has proven four rounds of funding to China in the HIV/AIDS area, a total of US$205 million. The Chinese government's own budget for AIDS prevention has reached over RMB1 billion (US$140 million) for the fiscal year of 2010. 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