A recent case involving the Ningxia Catering and Hotel Association has resulted in disciplinary action against nine individuals, following a probe into leadership elections that violated regulatory caps.
On July 29, the Social Organization Department of the Central Committee's Information and Publicity Center released a bulletin on typical violations and illegal activities within social organizations. The bulletin stated that since 2026, various local authorities have been intensifying efforts to crack down on irregularities among industry associations, chambers of commerce, and other social groups, with a number of cases being investigated and punished.
The investigation into the Ningxia Catering and Hotel Association, which had previously drawn widespread attention online for its 89 "vice-presidents," was detailed. The probe found that in April 2025, the association submitted a list of 29 officer candidates to the registration authority without first seeking approval from the industry management department. It then held a member representative assembly that illegally elected 83 officers. In January 2026, the association unilaterally changed its annual meeting plan, adding an agenda item to elect additional vice-presidents, resulting in eight more being illegally selected.
In February 2026, authorities imposed a three-month suspension of activities on the association as an administrative penalty. Nine individuals from the Ningxia Department of Commerce, the Department of Civil Affairs, and the association itself were held accountable. In April 2026, the association's party branch secretary, identified as Wang, received a warning from the party and was removed from his post.
A joint investigation team, established on February 13, 2026, had previously issued a notice detailing the situation. It revealed that the association's third first member representative assembly on April 15, 2025, elected 83 officers, and a subsequent third second member assembly on January 9, 2026, added eight more vice-presidents (with one name published twice by mistake). This brought the total number of elected officers to 90, including one president, one secretary-general, ten executive vice-presidents, 74 vice-presidents, and four specially invited vice-presidents.
According to the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Social Organization Election Work Procedures (Trial) (Ningmin Fa [2022] No. 64), the number of officers must not exceed half of the executive directors, be an odd number, and cap at 40. The association's officer count far exceeded this limit, confirming the violation.
The handling outcome declared the election results invalid, imposed administrative penalties, ordered a re-election, and pursued accountability for those responsible.
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