New Books Network Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Title: Taru Salmenkari, "Global Ideas, Local Adaptations: Chinese Activism and the Will to Make Civil Society"
Date: October 24, 2025
Host: Qin Shen
Guest: Dr. Taru Salmenkari, Senior Researcher, University of Helsinki

This episode explores Dr. Taru Salmenkari’s new book, "Global Ideas, Local Adaptations: Chinese Activism and the Will to Make Civil Society" (Edward Elgar, 2025). The conversation dives into how global ideas about civil society and activism are adapted, changed, and challenged by Chinese actors, with a special focus on how local values—particularly those influenced by Confucianism—shape NGO practices and broader social organizing in China. The episode covers the author’s academic journey, theoretical frameworks, localized adaptations, detailed case studies (with special attention to LGBTQ+ organizing in Shanghai), and the indigenous concept of 民间 (minjian), all while addressing common misconceptions about civil society in China.

Dr. Taru Salmenkari’s Academic Trajectory

• Background & Inspiration (02:05–07:35)
  • Started her academic career interested in Chinese history after being influenced by detective stories (e.g., Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee).
  • Shifted focus from ancient to modern Chinese political developments, particularly post-Cultural Revolution debates and the democracy movement of 1978–1980.
  • Initially wrote her PhD about how concepts like "democracy" were discussed in official Chinese media, not just among protestors.
  • Transitioned from historian to anthropologist to observe and analyze real-life NGO activity as China’s NGO sector emerged.
  • Previous book contrasted modernization theory predictions with practical realities in China and Taiwan: "I could show that neither in China nor in Taiwan we actually see that these theories have any systematic relevance." (06:42)
  • Found that state-society boundaries and "middle-class drivers" of civil society often function differently than theory predicts.

The Book’s Central Theme: Global-Local Dynamics of Civil Society

• Influence of Global Ideas on Chinese NGOs (07:43–12:16)
  • Globalization of political values (particularly the Western concept of civil society and democracy promotion post-Cold War) influenced the rise of NGOs in China.
  • Many Chinese—including government actors—actively embraced the NGO concept, sometimes for pragmatic reasons ("somebody hinted that, yeah, you can get money...if you call yourself NGO"), other times as a way to do good or to fit into international structures (09:29–10:55).
  • NGOs’ origins are complex, influenced both by international aid politics and indigenous motives.

Local Adaptations: Confucian Values and NGO Practice

• Confucian Roots in Local Organizing (11:39–18:34)
  • Early grassroots NGOs sourced resources and legitimacy through Confucian social networks, not formal structures.
  • Example Quote: "They found a way to get some resources through networks, through exchanges based on kind of community connections... like, for example, they recycle. And then after they pick this habit, they ask their parents, 'Hey, why don't we recycle?' And the whole family will start to recycle." (12:34–14:20)
  • Over time, international donor expectations (e.g., financial accountability) reduced the prevalence of purely network-based arrangements, but cultural logics endure.
  • Emphasis on improvement of the self and family as agents of broader social change comes from Confucian classics ("...a person who wants to rule a country will need to start from his own self...and then expand that to the family, to society and then to the state..." – 15:32).
  • Chinese civil society often criticized for not being "properly" separate from government or not being confrontational enough—these traits are better understood as rooted in Chinese values, not just government inhibition.

Case Study: Gay Self-Organizing in Shanghai

• "Ways of Being and Not Being Political": Chapter Five (18:34–24:45)
  • Contrasts Shanghai Pride (global movement-aligned, public consciousness-raising) with informal gatherings of older gay men in local ballrooms and street gardens.
  • Both forms create meaningful gay communities and visibility, challenging mainstream expectations about what counts as "political."
  • Key Insight: Political activity is not only about public, vocal activism—community-building and quieter, everyday practices are also political in their social impact.
  • Memorable Quote: "Are they political? Is our problem, actually not their problem." (24:45)
  • Wider point: Western theories often miss the full diversity of Chinese activism by defining politics too narrowly.

Rethinking Civil Society: The Concept of 民间 (Minjian)

• Understanding Minjian vs. Civil Society (27:58–37:33)
  • Salmenkari uses different definitions of civil society for different analytic purposes—recognizing the Western-centric history of the concept.
  • 民间 (minjian): A classical Chinese term for "among the people," denoting non-governmental, self-organizing collective activity.
    • Government is absent; responsibility and initiative rest with the people.
    • Includes a wide range of practices, from protest to informal neighborhood self-help.
  • Quote: "Minjian has a specific understanding that this is what people do without government... what they do collectively... there is a kind of morals that government should take care of this. But then it's people's own responsibility to do that." (31:20)
  • Responds to the accusation of cultural essentialism: while informal/self-organized activity exists everywhere, the moral boundaries and valorization of such activity are contextually specific in China.

The Diversity of NGOs and Self-Organizing

• NGO Actors and the Limits of Minjian (37:33–40:51)
  • Chinese NGOs (especially grassroots/volunteer-led) often position themselves as minjian organizations, but are ambivalent about other forms of minjian organizing—such as street protests.
  • NGOs may distance themselves from more "uncivilized" or rough forms of protest, illustrating divisions and hierarchies within nongovernmental space.

Looking Forward: Climate Policy and Chinese Civil Society

• Salmenkari’s Current and Future Work (41:03–41:56)
  • New research focus: Civil society’s role in Chinese climate policy, expanding the lens beyond NGOs to include business associations and think tanks.
  • Quote: "Civil society in there is actually much bigger than just NGOs. It is business organizations, it is think tanks, it is many kinds of associations." (41:18)

Notable Quotes

• "I could show that neither in China nor in Taiwan we actually see that these theories have any systematic relevance...the state society boundary as something absolute did not work either." (06:42)
• "Many Chinese saw opportunity to do something good often in that way... some people were very interested in this concept, probably including people in the government." (10:02)
• "This improvement will affect whole society. And this logic, I find it so often in NGOs... in her NGO the boss always asked them to read the Great Learning." (15:55)
• "Political being political...is our problem, actually, not their problem. That's not the point for them." (24:45)
• "Minjian...has its moral historical understandings about where is the limit, like what belongs to the government, what belongs to the people." (34:40)

Timestamped Key Segments

• Academic Journey – Taru's background, transition to anthropology (02:05–07:35)
• Failed Theories & New Questions – Problem of applying Western civil society theories (07:43–08:24)
• Globalization & Emergence of NGOs – Influence of global and local motives (09:00–11:39)
• Localization and Confucian Values – Confucian, family, and network logics in NGO work (12:16–18:34)
• Case Study: Gay Organizing in Shanghai – Contrasting formal (Shanghai Pride) and informal (older gay men) activism (18:34–24:45)
• Defining 'Political' Practice – Rethinking political activity in the Chinese context (24:45–27:58)
• Civil Society vs. Minjian – Differences, cultural connotations, and practicalities (27:58–37:33)
• Internal Divisions in Civil Space – NGOs’ selective embrace of Minjian (37:33–40:51)
• New Research Directions – Civil society in climate policy (41:03–41:56)

Conclusion

Dr. Taru Salmenkari’s work challenges simplistic notions of civil society in China, showing the nuanced ways global ideas are locally adapted, how Confucian and indigenous values permeate activism, and the importance of considering a wide range of social practices—from LGBTQ+ organizing to informal protests—when analyzing Chinese civil society. Her concept of minjian offers a distinct but complementary perspective to Western models, shedding light on the diverse, dynamic nature of public life in China.