China will continue efforts to clamp down on illegal social organizations that harm individuals and the public interest, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said in a recently released guideline.

The guideline clarifies that unregistered societies or groups, as well as those that have had their licenses revoked, are prohibited from organizing activities under the name of a social organization, foundation or private non-enterprise institution. Any such activity will result in the group being labeled an illegal social organization.

Organizations operating without official permission while in their preparatory periods are also classified as illegal, according to the guideline.

County-level authorities will be responsible for cracking down on illegal social organizations whenever their activities are detected. If an illegal group operates across multiple provinces, the civil affairs ministry or designated authorities will oversee enforcement.

Authorities will have the power to hold regulatory talks with suspected organizations or individuals, conduct on-site investigations and review materials such as contracts, receipts, meeting records, financial ledgers and promotional materials.

Local authorities must publicly announce and issue written decisions once an organization is confirmed to be illegal. The decision must include the organization's name and details of its illegal activities and bear an official stamp.

Individuals suspected of violating national laws — including fabricating, concealing or destroying evidence, providing false information, or obstructing investigations — will be referred to public security organs for further investigation.

The guideline also states that any organization, company or individual has the right to report illegal social organizations. Supervisory authorities must publish phone numbers, email addresses and postal addresses for public reporting.

The new guideline will take effect on May 1, replacing an interim version introduced in 2000.

The ministry has intensified its oversight of social organizations in recent years, launching several crackdowns that have curbed illegal activity and protected public interests.

Last year, civil affairs authorities at all levels handled 1,066 cases involving illegal social organizations.

In December, the ministry published 10 cases highlighting illegal activities.

In one case, an unauthorized group illegally organized a fraudulent arts competition using the name of the Belt and Road Initiative. It collected individuals' personal information through illegal means and defrauded them by sending fabricated award lists. The Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau shut down the organization in January last year.

By the end of 2023, China had about 881,600 registered social organizations, a decrease of 9,700 from the previous year, according to a recent report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Education-related organizations accounted for about 31 percent, while 16 percent focused on social services.

chengsi@chinadaily.com.cn