China steps up crackdown on phony charities

The Ministry of Civil Affairs has intensified the crackdown on fraudulent charities and other "illegal NGOs" with measures such as limiting their access to conference venues, publicity resources and manpower, an official said on Saturday.

Government officials and members of the Communist Party of China have also been explicitly barred from participating in their events, said Huang Ru, deputy head of the ministry's bureau of NGO administration.

"The aim is to rein in the illegal operations by tightening scrutiny over the legal entities' involvement," she said at a regular news conference in Beijing.

The moves were part of a sweeping campaign launched last month by the ministry and 21 other central agencies to clamp down on the unregistered NGOs, which have masqueraded as foundations, industrial associations and other nongovernmental groups to rake in money from the public.

Some of the organizations have included "China" and "national" in their titles to suggest government endorsement, and some others have adopted titles similar to established charities in hopes of passing as big name entities, Huang said.

She said that the "soil" still exists despite central authorities' efforts to curb such illegal operations, adding such operations have infringed on the public interest, jeopardized stability and economic growth, and tarnished the image of the government.

"It will be a long-term, arduous and complex task," she said.