"Government think tanks are often hampered by government rules but non-governmental think tanks often do not have a clear understanding of decision makers' needs," Liu pointed out.
High-level think tanks in the US, by comparison, are better at addressing the needs of government and the public. Before entering the White House, both Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski had worked for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Rand Corporation. They both chose to return to think tanks after leaving government. "Think tanks should maintain close contact with the public but also have an intimate knowledge of how government operates. They must have a clear idea of what decision makers want," Liu Kegu said.
In an attempt to integrate the governmental and non-governmental aspects of its work, CCIEE invited Zeng Peiyan and several other retired government officials to sit on its board of directors. On the one hand, being retired, they can listen to public, non-governmental voices. On the other hand, they have easy access to top state leaders and can quickly report public opinion to decision makers.
Apart from government, CCIEE also has managers of large state-owned enterprises as members. This has sparked a heated debate. Some experts say the new think tank will lose its academic independence if it takes money from enterprises.
But funding is a secondary issue according to Liu Kegu. "Every think tank uses multiple channels to raise funds. The majority of its funds may come from society at large while the rest may be given by the government. The most important thing is to avoid having a sole sponsor."
For instance, Rand Corporation, sometimes referred to as the "external head" of the US government, has acquired a reputation for independent thinking despite the fact that 65 percent of its revenue comes from the federal government, while the other 35 percent is provided by state governments, foreign governments, private companies and foundations. Rand acquired a globe reputation because it follows a strict project methodology and remains objective in its work, said Liu.
(China.org.cn by Chen Xia, April 10, 2009)
