Researchers in the field of Chinese studies often assume that the ability of Chinese NGOs to operate freely increases with their distance from the government, and they classify NGOs accordingly. However, this study suggests that in China distance from the state is not a fixed characteristic of an organization nor is increased distance always an advantage. Even unregistered NGOs adopt various strategies that bring them close to the state. Furthermore, contrary to common expectations, independence does not guarantee that an NGO will adopt democratic decision-making structures or increase its contacts with ordinary citizens at the grassroots level.