RFA published an article stating that the arrest of Xu Xiang, former Chinese private placement investor and the General Manager of Zexi Investments (泽熙投资), a Chinese investment company, and Chen Boming, General Manager of CITIC securities, reveals that the stock market in China is full of hidden plots from which a small group of people have benefitted. The market should have been regulated a long time ago.

RFA interviewed an economics professor from the Beijing Institute of Technology who observed, “The China Capital market is no doubt the darkest market; it is full of hidden trades behind closed doors and involves a number of illegal activities. It has been used to supply funding to the failing SOEs. A large number of low performance companies have been repackaged and have gone through the IPO procedure. A small number of special interest parties, who use their power to manipulate the market, were the ones backing them. Xu Xiang and Chen Boming are just two of the examples of this special interest group. The supervision and regulatory department should use this opportunity to establish regulations for the Chinese stock market and make it more transparent.”

Source: Radio Free Asia, April 29, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/hc-04292016103143.html

Xinhua reported that, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, by the end of first quarter of 2016, there were 664,800 registered social organizations including 329,000 social groups, 4,841 foundations, and 331,000 private non-enterprise units in China. The article stated that the private non-enterprise units have grown and now account for 50 percent of the social organizations. They include non-profit private schools, hospitals, senior homes, museums and other categories. Xinhua said that, starting September 1, 2016, following the revision in the Charity Law, private non-enterprise units will be called social service agencies. They will include the agencies that provide assistance to people with disabilities, exploited children, and low income families.

Source: Xinhua, May 1, 2016
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2016-05/01/c_1118781773.htm

Radio Free Asia carried an article which stated that, based on a report from Hong Kong Ming Pao, China’s central administration recently issued a directive, through the Propaganda Department, asking the local administrations not to make casual modifications of the official statements from the central administration. The directive also asked that slang words, such as “Core” (“核心”) or “Xi Da Da” (“习大大”), not be used when referring to Xi Jinping and that slang words such as Peng Mama (“彭麻麻”) not be used when referring to Xi’s wife. The article pointed out that these slang words have often been used in Chinese official microblogs or in Xinhua. Since last year, songs that had a personality cult flavor and which praised Xi Jinping have even circulated on the Internet. These have caused concern among the Chinese people who fear the return of the Cultural Revolution. Hong Kong Apple Daily reported that Xi Jinping has noticed the negative impact of these terms and told the Propaganda Department not to use these phrases and to delete any flattering contents about him.

Source: Radio Free Asia, April 29, 2016
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zhengzhi/xl1-04292016100501.html

On April 28, 2016, the 20th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People’s Congress adopted a law to regulate the activities of foreign NGOs in China. The law will become effective in January 2017. 

Xinhua reported that, on April 25, the National Political and Judicial Department held a working conference in Beijing. At the conference, Xi Jinping issued directives to all the political and judicial departments requiring them to build an honest and upright team, to improve their professional skills and the quality of their work, and to be persistent in managing the workforce in accordance with the law. Meng Jianzhu, Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, announced the directives. The conference participants included the head of Public Security, the Supreme Court, and the Procurator General.

Source: Xinhua, April 25, 2016
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2016-04/25/c_1118729326.htm

VOA published an article based on a news report from Hong Kong’s Apple Daily about some recent actions affecting the China Youth League. On April 6, a newly appointed Deputy Secretary General for Guangdong Province was taken away for investigation on the first day he was on the job. The official was said to have a China Youth League background but the official media has not yet confirmed that news. According to Apple Daily, in June and September of 2014, a former secretary of a Municipal Party Committee in the City of Guangzhou and a Vice Chairman of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region were charged with corruption. On March 23, a report stated that the Central Discipline Inspection Commission was investigating another official who was the Secretary of a Municipal Party Committee in the City of Zhuhai. All these officials were said to have had a background with the China Youth League prior to their recent appointments. The article cited a report stating that the Politburo Standing Committee of the Party has decided to downsize the workforce in the Youth League. The article said that it is an indication that the Youth League could slowly be dissolved in official circles. Another observation was that Xi Jinping has been taking action to straighten out the Youth League to prevent the emergence of someone like Ling Jihua, the formal Chief of the Party’s General Office, who came from a Youth League background.