Sheri Liao is one of China's best-known environmental activists and journalists. In 1996, she founded the Global Village of Bejing, a grassroots environmental organization that has received much international praise, including commendations from the United Nations and the White House. She is also producer of the weekly Chinese TV program "Time for Environment." Ms. Liao holds a master's degree in philosophy from Zhongshan University. She is a former researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

www.gvbchina.org

Notable among the many recent social and political changes in China has been the emergence of some elements of civil society. Chinese non-governmental organizations (NGO's), especially those addressing environmental protection, have been prominent in this development. University students, intellectuals, and the public, along with an activist media, have begun to focus their attention on the environment and its implications for social welfare. What are the broader political ramifications of this NGO movement? What practical constraints do NGO's in China face? What role might the U.S. play in the evolution of this nascent movement?