當代中國「國家－社會」關係的變與常─以環保組織的發展為例

China's drive toward reform and modernization in the past 30 years has not only led to rapid economic growth but also created new opportunities for social changes. The desired result of all these changes is the emergence of a new set of institutional arrangements. The dramatic changes and significant consequences stirred by the development of social organizations have drawn much attention to the subject. Social scientists believe that a country's progression toward a more open, pluralistic and competitive political system is dependent on whether the country allows a civil society to emerge. Environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) have carved out a field of existence in China's changing social terrain. Furthermore, ENGOs are becoming increasing visible players in China's environmental policies. At this point, these empirical observations raise important issues: What are the domestic and international causes for the emergence of social forces in China? how can we best understand the rise of ENGOs and the resulting state-society relationship in China? Do these sorts of dynamic social changes and transnational advocacy network indicate that new Environmental governance mechanism is indeed emerging in China? The line of analysis will seek to explain how socio-economic changes and international forces co-exist with the continued dominance of the party-state and understand the ”state-society relationship” in contemporary China.