Overseas NGOs will soon be required to operate under a new law, which will take effect on January 1, 2017. The representative offices of overseas NGOs can organize activities within registered regions, and the activities will be protected, China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) explained at a press conference.

"China is a country with the rule of law, and no law has a 'transition period' after it takes effect," said a representative from the MPS's Foreign NGO Management Bureau. A catalogue of fields and activities in which overseas NGOs are allowed to operate, as well as a list of authorities in charge of their operations, is currently in the process of being drafted.

The new law will not only clarify the agencies responsible for managing overseas NGOs' activities, it will also provide a better environment and more opportunities for overseas NGOs, the MPS said.