Fake, illegal NGO crackdown coming in April

Fake and illegal NGOs claiming to serve national strategies or suggesting government endorsement will be the focus of a crackdown starting in April, according to a media release from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The ministry teamed up with the Ministry of Public Security late last year in a joint effort to ban illegal NGOs. in a teleconference held on Wednesday, the two ministries shared experience and set out the focus of a new round of crackdown starting next month, which will last till the end of the year.

The media release said the inspection will target on those fake and illegal NGOs that claim to serve national strategies, such as the Belt and Road Initiative and military and civilian integration, or to promote poverty alleviation.

Illegal NGOs containing "China", "National" and "Global" in their names will also be the target, it said.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, past few years have seen a rise in the number of organizations carrying out frauds under the guise of organizations with government endorsement and support, which has infringed upon people's rights and image of civil society organizations.

More than 300 illegal NGOs have been banned nationwide since late last year, and the crackdown had obtained initial effect, it said.

The crackdown will also be carried out hand-in-hand with measures to stem the origin of such organizations, it said.