The SARS event not only exposed a fundamental shortcoming of Chinaʼs public health surveillance system, as well as its single-minded pursuit of economic growth since the late 1970s, but also forced China to realize that, in the era of globalization, public health is no longer a domestic, social issue that can be isolated from foreign-policy concern.37 Having no tolerance in ceding its supreme authority, the central government has adopted a multi-faceted attitude towards its civil society organizations.