Nearly 200 illegal social clubs disbanded amid crackdown

A nationwide crackdown has led to the disbandment of nearly 200 illegal social organizations, according to the latest national campaign led by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Additionally, 17 of these clubs have been instructed to properly register with the government, and others are being investigated.

On June 20, the ministry and 10 other ministry-level departments, including the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Ministry of Education, launched a six-month national campaign to crack down on such groups. It is the third such campaign to be conducted, following similar initiatives in 2018 and 2021.

Since the beginning of the crackdown, more than 700 clues related to illegal social organizations have been collected, with 402 deemed useful.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the operations of these clubs are becoming more covert.

Some no longer publicize their contact addresses, personal information or phone numbers. Instead, they announce their activities through email addresses, making it difficult to locate them. Some also hide the identities of their sponsors and participants.

Interactions between members of these groups have become more internet-based. It is more common to host gatherings in virtual places such as social media and short-video platforms.

The ministry has encouraged citizens to report any information they may have on illegal social organizations.