Provisions on the Administration of Periodical Publishing (Chinese and English Text)

NOTE: These Provisions supersede the 期刊管理暂行规定 (Interim Provisions on the Administration of Periodicals) of November 24, 1988.

The following translation was retrieved from the Ministry of Commerce Web site on May 23, 2006. The Chinese text was retrieved from the People's Daily Web site on May 23, 2006.

A summary of this regulation is available here.

Regulations for Administration of Periodical Publication

Chapter I General Provision

Article 1 These Regulations are formulated in accordance with the “Regulations on Publication Administration” promulgated by the State Council and related laws and regulations for the purpose of developing and promoting our country’s periodical cause, standardizing periodical publication activities and strengthening the administration of periodical publication.

Article 2 These Regulations shall apply to periodical publishing activities conducted in the territory of the People's Republic of China.

Periodicals shall be published by publishing units established in accordance with laws. To publish periodicals, a publishing unit must get approval of the General Administration of Press and Publication, and have national unified publication serial number and periodical publication license.

The “periodical” used in these regulations, also called magazine, refers to serial book form publication that have fixed name, numbered in sequence with volume, periodical, or year, season, month, and published according to a certain cycle period.

The “periodical publishing unit” used in these regulations refers to any periodical office established in accordance with relative provisions of the state, and approved by the General Administration of Press and Publication. Where a legal person publishes a periodical without setting up a periodical office, the editorial department established by the legal person shall be deemed to be a publishing unit.

Article 3 Periodical publication must adhere to Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of “three representatives”, follow correct guideline of public opinions and publication orientation and persist in the principle of giving first priority to the social benefits, achieving combination of social benefits and economic returns, spread widely and gather scientific, technological and cultural knowledge that is good for promoting national quality, economic development and social improvement, and developing Chinese national splendid cultural, promoting the exchange of international cultural and enrich masses’ spiritual and cultural life.

Article 4 Periodical is issued by public or inside.

Inside published periodicals can only be published in an appointed range, must not be published or displayed openly in the society.

Article 5 The General Administration of Press and Publication is responsible for the supervision and administration of periodical publication activities nationwide, make and implement plans for the total number, structure and distribution of periodical publication nationwide and establish and perfect supervision and management rules such as comprehensive quality assessment rules for periodical publication, annual periodical check and examination rules and periodical publication withdrawal mechanism rules.

Local administrations of press and publication at different levels are responsible for the supervision and administration of periodical publication activities within their own administrative areas.

Article 6 Periodical publication units are responsible for the publishing activities including editing and publication.

Lawful publication activities of periodical publishing units shall be protected by law. No organization or individual shall illegally interfere with, prevent or disrupt the publishing of periodicals.

Article 7 The General Administration of Press and Publications shall reward the units and individuals who have made outstanding contribution to the development and flourishing of the periodical cause of the country.

Article 8 The social organization of the periodical publishing industry shall carry out self-regulation management in accordance with the regulations under the guidance of the General Administration of Press and Publication department.

Chapter II Establishment of Periodicals and Periodical Publishing Units

Article 9 For establishing periodicals or periodical publishing unit, following requirements should be met:

(I) possessing a name different from the names of other exiting periodical

(II) possessing a name and regulations of periodical publishing unit;

(III) possessing an administration or sponsor which is recognized by the General Administration of Press and Publication ;

(IV) possessing a definite scope of periodical publication business;

(V) possessing a registered capital of more than 300,000 yuan;

(VI) possessing an organizational structure which meets the needs of periodical publication activities and editorial professionals having the qualifications stipulated by the State;

(VII) possessing a fixed premise located in the same administrative area of the sponsor;

(VIII) possessing legal representative or major responsible person who must be a Chinese citizen permanently residing in Chinese territory; and

(IX) other requirements prescribed by the laws and administrative regulations.

In addition to the requirements listed in the preceding paragraphs, must accord with the overall plan of the State for the total number, structure and distribution of periodicals and periodical publishing units.

Article 10 For a central department located in Beijing to establish periodical or periodical publishing unit, the sponsor shall apply to the General Administration of Press and Publication for approval after getting the approval of the sponsor.

If the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the Chinese People’s Armed Police Forces establish a periodical and periodical publishing unit, they shall submit the application to the General Administration of Press and Publication for approval after the verification and approval of Bureau of Press Publication of the Propaganda Department under the General Political Department

For other department to establish a periodical and publishing unit, after approved by the administration department, the sponsor shall make an application to the press publication administrations department of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government where it is located; the said publication administration department shall, upon examination and approval, submit it to the General Administration of Press and Publication for examination and approval.

Article 11 For two or more units to establish a periodical together, a major sponsor must be chosen for making the application.

The major sponsor of a periodical shall be a subordinate unit of its competent department; the periodical publishing unit shall be located at the same area where the major sponsor is.

Article 12 For establishment of a periodical and a periodical publishing unit, the sponsor of periodical publication unit shall make an application with the following materials:

(I) “Application Form for Periodical Publication” filled according to the requirements;

(II) certificates for qualifications of the competent department and the sponsor;

(III) the resume, identification documents and professional qualification certificates of the proposed legal representative or major responsible person of the periodical publishing unit;

(IV) certificates for qualifications of editorial and publishing professionals

(V) related certificate about the sources and amount of the fund used for periodical;

(VI) the regulations of periodical publishing unit;

(VII) certificate of premise used;

(VIII) feasibility study report on periodical publication.

Article 13 The General Administration of Press and Publication shall make a decision of approval or disapproval within 90 days at the receipt of the application for the establishment of a periodical or periodical publishing unit, and inform the sponsor directly, or through the press publication administrations of the province, autonomous region or municipality, the decision in written form; reasons shall be given where a decision of disapproval is made.

Article 14 The periodical sponsor shall go through the registration formalities within 60 days at the receipt of the approval decision of the General Administration of Press and Publication.

(I) The sponsor shall go to the Press and Publication department of the province, autonomous region or municipality where it is located by the approval documents to obtain a “Registration Form of Periodical Publication” and fill it in five same form. After examined and signed by the competent department, the form shall be submitted to the press and publication administrations of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government where it is located. And the said administrations shall submit the Periodical Publication Form to the General Administration of Press and Publication for record with 15 days.

(II) For the periodicals published openly, international standard serial number shall be obtained from ISSN China Center, and bar code from Bar Code Center of the General Administration of Press and Publication. .

(III) After examining the “Registration Form of Periodical Publication” as correct, the press and publication administration of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government shall issue “Periodical Publication License” to the sponsor within 10 days

(IV) The sponsor thus shall go through registration formalities in industrial and commercial administrations by Periodical Publication License and obtain business license in accordance with law.

Registration Form of Periodical Publication is kept separately by periodical publication unit, the sponsor, the competent department and the press and publication administration of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government.

Article 15 If the sponsor of a periodical publication do not go through the registration formalities within 60 days at receipt of the approval document issued by the General Administration of Press and Publication; the approval document will be invalid automatically, and the registration department would refuse its registration and the sponsor shall return the approval documents back to the General Administration of Press and Publication.

Where a periodical publishing unit does not published any periodical within 90 days from the date of registration, the “Periodical Publication License” is revoked by the General Administration of Press and Publication and the cancellation is registered by the original press publication administration where the registration is made.

Where the circumstances listed in the preceding paragraph is due to force majeure or for other justified reasons, the periodical publishing unit may apply to the original press publication administration where the registration is made for extension..

Article 16 A periodical office shall satisfy the requisite conditions of a legal person, obtain the qualifications of a legal person through verification and registration, and undertake civil liabilities independently with all its legal person property.

The periodical editorial department does not have the qualifications of a legal person, and its civil liabilities shall therefore be undertaken by its sponsor.

Article 17 Where a periodical publishing unit changes its name, carries out merger or separation, changes its capital structure or publishes a new periodical it shall go through the procedures of examination, approval and registration in accordance with the provisions of Article 10 to Article 14 of these Regulations.

Article 18 Where a periodical changes its name, sponsor, competent department, registration area, business range or number of issues, it shall go through the procedures of examination, approval and registration in accordance with the provisions of Articles 10 to Article 14 of these Regulations.

Where a periodical changes its number of issues, the General Administration of Press and Publication can entrust the press publication administration of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government to make examination and approval.

The scope of periodical business in terms of these regulations includes the aim and the language used.

Article 19 Where a periodical changes its size, or its legal representative or major responsible person change its address within the same registration area, its publishing unit shall, upon the examination and approval of its sponsor, register for record within 15 days to press and publication administration of the province, autonomous region or municipality where it is located

Article 20 Where a periodical publishing unit suspends publication, it shall go to press publication administration of the province, autonomous region or municipality for record and give reasons and term limit.

A periodical publishing unit suspends publication must not exceed one year. If any periodical publishing unit suspends publication for more than one year, its Periodical Publication License shall be cancelled by General Administration of Press and Publication, and its registration shall be nullified by the press and publication administration of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government where it is located.

Article 21 Where a periodical publishing unit terminates its publishing activities, upon the examination and approval of its competent department, its sponsor shall go through cancellation formalities at the press and publication administration of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government where it is located, and the said administration shall make a report to the General Administration of Press and Publication for the record.

Article 22 For periodical cancellation registration, the periodical publishing unit established with the same name of the periodical cancelled shall be cancelled at the same time and shall go through registration of cancellation at the industrial and commercial administration where the original registration was conducted

The cancelled periodical and its publishing unit must not conduct publishing and business activities with the same name any longer.

Article 23 For central periodical publishing units to establish a periodical group, the approval should be given by the General Administration of Press and Publication; for local periodical publishing units to establish a periodical group, application be submitted to the press and publication administration of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government where they are located, and upon the examination and approval, reported to the General Administration of Press and Publication for approval.

Chapter III Publishing of Periodicals

Article 24 Periodical publication shall adopt the rules editor's responsibility to ensure that the contents of the periodicals conform to the provisions of the national laws and regulations.

Article 25 No periodical shall contain the content which is prohibited by the “Regulations on Publication Administration” and other laws and regulations or by the state.

Article 26 Where the lawful rights and interests of a citizen, a legal person or some other organizations are infringed upon due to the false and untruthful contents of a periodical, its publishing unit shall make public corrections, eliminate the effects, and bear civil liabilities according to law.

Where the lawful rights and interests of a citizen, a legal person or some other organizations are infringed upon due to the false and untruthful contents of a periodical, the person concerned has the right to ask the periodical publishing unit to make corrections or reply to the charge. Periodical publishing unit shall publish it in the latest periodical, and if it refuses to make the publication the person concerned may bring a lawsuit to the People’s Court.

Where the content published in a periodical is not true, unfair or harms public interests, the General Administration of Press and Publication or press and publication administration of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government can instruct it to make corrections.

Article 27 The periodical shall go through record formalities in accordance with record management rules for important topic while carrying the content of important topic relating to national safety, society stability and etc.

Article 28 The periodicals published openly must not reprint or extract the content from the restricted publications.

For any periodical to reprint and abstract contents from the Internet, the contents must be verified according to relative provisions; the website address where the contents are unloaded and the date when they are loaded must be marked in obvious position.

Article 29 Any periodical publishing unit launches a cooperative publication project with publishing organs abroad shall be approved by the General Administration of Press and Publication. The concrete measures will be stipulated later.

Article 30 The quality of periodical publication shall meet the national and industrial standards; the language the periodical uses shall accord with relative provisions of the state.

Article 31 The periodical shall carry following imprint on the back cover or copyright page: the name of the periodical, competent administration, the sponsor, publishing unit, printing unit, distributing unit, publication date, name of editor-in-chief （chief compiler）, range of distribution, price, uniform serial publication number in the state, number of advertisement business license and etc.

The periodical that obtains international standard serial number shall also print the said number.

Article 32 The periodical shall carry its name, the sequential number of year, month, issue, volume and etc., and total number of issues must not replace the number of year, month and issue.

Other word marks on the front cover must not be clearer and larger than the name of the periodical.

The foreign name of the periodical shall be translated directly from Chinese name. The Chinese name must be printed on the front cover of the periodicals in foreign language and languages of national minorities together with the names in foreign or minority languages.

Article 33 One uniform national serial number can only be used for one periodical accordingly, must not be used for different edition of periodicals.

Publishing different edition of periodicals shall be deemed to create a new periodical and need to go through examination and approval formalities.

Article 34 In addition to common issue, periodical publishing unit can publish supplement. Two supplements can be published for one periodical every year.

Periodical publishing unit should make clear in the application report about article catalogue, impression, price, publication time and printing unit. With the examination and approval of its competent administration, the application shall be reported by its sponsor for examination and approval to the press and publication administrations of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government. For the approval, one time supplemental issue license shall be issued.

The content of the supplemental must accord with business range of the periodical. The format and distribution range must be as the same as the periodical. Besides the issue record listed in Article 31 of theses regulations, the supplement shall also set up and print the number of supplement license and print the name of the periodical and “supplement” on the front cover.

Article 35 The one-volume edition of the periodical shall be bound in original publication order. No one can lay out the content of the periodical separately. The word “one-volume edition” should be marked in a conspicuous position on the front cover.

If any periodical is given administrative punishment by press and publication administration for any illegal content, relative articles of this periodical must not be brought into one-volume edition.

The periodical that the registration is cancelled must not be made into one-volume edition.

Article 36 A periodical publishing unit must not sell, lease or transfer its name and the edition number, name and edition layout of its periodical; and must not lend, transfer, lease and sell the “Periodical Publication License”.

Article 37 While using its periodical to develop its advertisement business, the periodical publishing unit must abide by the provisions of laws relating to advertisement, check related certificates and verify the content in accordance with laws before publishing an advertisement must not carry harmful, false or illegal advertisement.

Advertisement dealer for periodical can only conduct advertisement service, advertisement agency within the authorized legal scope, must not be involved in periodical news covering, editing and other publication activities.

Article 38 The periodical covering business must be strictly divided from the business operation.

It is prohibited to seek irregular profits in the form of threatening to make report, asking the reported person to make advertisement, provide support, and enter board of directors and other activities that harm the interests of the reported person.

Any payable news must not be carried in the periodical.

Article 39 Reporters and editors of periodical publication unit must hold journalist certificate issued united by General Administration of Press and Publication and abide by relative provisions of Measures on Management of Journalist certificate issued by General Administration of Press and Publication when they are engaged in news covering activities.

Article 40 A periodical publishing unit involving in news report and editing establishes press stations should be examined, approved and managed according to the “Measures on Management of Reporter Station of Newspaper House” formulated by the General Administration of Press and Publication.

Article 41 Periodical publishing unit should not conduct business activities through illicit competition or with illicit form, and should not apportion distribution of periodicals by taking advantages of its power.

Article 42 Periodical publishing units shall submit statistics data to the General Administration of Press and Publication in accordance with the statistics laws and regulations of the state.

Periodical publishing units shall cooperate with the publication distribution data investigation body certified by the state to conduct investigation on periodical distribution data and provide real periodical distribution data.

Article 43 Periodical publishing units shall send three sample periodicals separately to the General Administration of Press and Publication, China Library of Editions, National Library of China and the press and publication administrations of the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government where they are located within 30 days after every periodical is published.

Chapter IV Supervision and Management

Article 44 The supervision and management of periodical publication activities shall be conducted under territorial principle.

The press and publication administrations of the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities shall be responsible for the supervision and administration of periodical publishing activities within their own administrative areas in accordance with law, including registration, annual inspection, quality assessment and administrative penalty.

Article 45 Periodical publication management shall carry out periodical re-reading rules, quality assessment rules, annual inspection rules and management rules on periodical publishing staffs.

Periodical publishing units shall submit written report on periodical publishing activities to press and publication administrations according to the provisions of the General Administration of Press and Publication.

Article 46 The General Administration of Press and Publication is responsible for the re-reading of national periodicals. Local press and publication administration at different level are responsible for the re-reading of the periodicals published in their own administrative areas. The press and publication administrations at lower level shall submit report on re-reading to the press and publication administrations at higher level.

The competent administration shall re-read the periodicals under their control and submit re-reading reports to the press and publication administrations where they are located regularly.

Periodical publishing units shall formulate periodical reading and assessment rules and prepare reading and assessment report regularly. The press and publication administrations can read and inspect the reading and assessment reports of the publishing units at any time according to the requirements of the management.

Article 47 The General Administration of Press and Publication formulates the comprehensive assessment system for periodical publication quality to conduct overall assessment on the publishing quality.

In case the results of the quality comprehensive assessment on a periodical shows that the quality of the periodical fails to reach the defined standard or cannot maintain normal publishing activities, the General Administration of Press and Publication shall revoke its “Periodical Publication License” and the registration with the press and publication administration of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government where it is located shall be cancelled.

Article 48 The press and publication administrations of the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall conduct annual verification and examination to the periodical publishing units located in their administrative areas. The contents of annual verification and examination shall include periodical publishing unit and the registered items of the periodicals they published, publishing quality, situation of the observance of disciplines and law and etc.

Article 49 Annual verification and examination shall be conducted according to the following procedure:

(I) A periodical publishing units shall submit annual self-examination report and fill in the “Annual Examination Form for Registered Periodical Items” printed united by the General Administration of Press and Publication; after verified and sealed by the sponsor and competent administration, the self-examination report and the form, along with the samples published this year to the press and publication administration of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government.

(II) Press and publication administrations of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government shall conduct verification and examination of the self-examination report, the “Annual Examination Form for Registered Periodical Items” and samples of the periodical publishing unit.

(III) If a publishing passes the examination as meeting the defined standard, the press and publication administrations of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government shall stamp the annual examination seal on the “Periodical Publication License”. Once the License is stamped, the publishing unit passes the annual examination and shall go on its periodical publishing activities.

(IV) Press and publication administrations of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government shall submit an annual examination report to the General Administration of Press and Publication within 30 days after completing the periodical publishing annual examination.

Article 50 Under one of the following circumstances, the annual examination shall be deferred:

(I) in the process of rectifying and reform within a prescribed time limit of stopping publishing;

(II) being found of unlawful practice constituting penalty;

(III) the competent administrations and sponsors fail to implement their responsibility for management and it leads confusion in management of the periodical publication;

(IV) on suspicion of other illegal acts ought to be further investigated.

The deferring period of the annual examination shall be decided by the press and publication administrations of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government and be submitted to the General Administration of Press and Publication for record. After the deferring period, the annual examination shall be recovered in accordance with Article 48 and 49 of these Regulations.

Article 51 Under one of the following circumstances, the annual examination should not be passed:

(I) violating law but refusing to rectify after being investigated and prosecuted or without obvious results of rectification;

(II) failure to meet the standard defined for periodical publication quality for long time;

(III) in insolvency because of worsening operation;

(IV) already unable to meet the conditions prescribed in Article 9 of these Regulations.

Failing to pass the annual examination, the publishing unit’s “Periodical Publication License” shall be revoked by the General Administration of Press and Publication and cancelled by the press and publication administration of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government where it is located.

Failing to pass the annual examination, the periodical publishing unit shall stop publishing periodical as of the next year.

Article 52 The “Periodical Publication License” can not be used continuously until being stamped with the annual examination seal. For relative departments to go through formalities of periodical publishing, printing and distribution, the “Periodical Publication License” without annual examination seal cannot be used.

Where any periodical publishing unit does not participate annual examination and still refuse to participate after being asked to, the General Administration of Press and Publication shall revoke its “Periodical Publication License”, and the press and publication administration of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government where it is located shall cancel its registration.

Article 53 Organs in charge of the examination can publicize the results of the annual examination to the society.

Article 54 Professionals involved in periodical publication shall meet the occupational requirements for press publication prescribed by the state.

Article 55 The director general and editor-in-chief of a periodical publishing unit shall meet the occupational requirements prescribed by the state.

The director general and editor-in-chief of a periodical publishing unit shall take part in the occupational training organized by the press and publication administrations.

The new director general and editor-in-chief of a periodical publishing unit shall accept occupational training and pass the examination before taking their positions.

Chapter V Legal Liabilities

Article 56 Any periodical publishing unit that violates these Regulations shall be imposed on following administrative countermeasures by the press and publication administrations on the actual situation:

(I) circulating notice of warning;

(II) circulating notice of criticism；

(III) order to make public self-criticism;

(IV) order to rectify;

(V) order to stop publishing and distributing the periodical;

(VI) order to retract the periodicals;

(VII) order the sponsor and competent administration to supervise the publishing unit’s rectification.

The notice of warning shall take the unified form stipulated by the General Administration of Press and Publication or be sent to the law-breaking periodical publishing unit by the General Administration of Press and Publication and the press and publication administration of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government where it is located, with a copy sent to the sponsor and the competent administration of the periodical publishing unit.

The administration measures prescribed in this article can be used in combination.

Article 57 Without approval, whoever establishes any periodical publication unit or is engaged in publication business by him, or publish periodicals by forging or counterfeiting the name of a publishing unit shall be punished in accordance with Article 55 of “the Regulations on Administration of Publication”.

Any periodical publishing unit that publishes supplements, or carry out cooperation project with publication organs abroad without permission should be punished in accordance with proceeding section.

Article 58 Publishing periodicals which contain the contents prohibited by “the Regulations on Administration of Publication”, other laws and regulations or provisions of the state shall be punished in accordance with Article 56 of “the Regulations on Administration of Publication”.

Article 59 Periodical publishing unit that breaks Article 36 of these regulations shall be punished in accordance with Article 60 of “the Regulations on Administration of Publication”.

Periodical publishing unit that permit or acquiesce in advertisement operators to be engaged in the publishing activities including covering and editing shall be punished in accordance with the preceding section.

Article 60 A periodical publishing unit that commits one of the following acts shall be punished in accordance with Article 61 of “the Regulations on Administration of Publication”.

(I) fail to follow these regulation to go through the formalities of examination and approval of changes at its name, sponsor, competent administration, registration area, number of issues, scope of business and size number of issues,;

(II) a periodical publishing unit fails to follow these regulations to go through the formalities of examination and approval of change of its name, merger or separation, change of its capital structure, publishing new periodicals;

(III) a periodical unit fails to bring the important topics relating national safety, society stability into the record;

(IV) a periodical unit fails to follow these regulations to send the samples.

Article 61 Where a periodical unit violates Article 4, Section 2 of these regulations, it would be punished in accordance with Article 48 of Rules on Management of Publication Market.

Article 62 Where any periodical publishing unit commits one of the following acts, the General Administration of Press and Publication or the press and publication administrations of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government shall give a warning and impose a fine of less than RMB 30,000 yuan:

(I) failing to follow Article 19 of these regulations to report for record the changes of the size of the periodical, legal representative or major responsible person, or change of address in the same registration area;

(II) failing to follow Article 20 of these regulations to report for record the suspension of publishing;

(III) covering false or inaccurate reports harming public interests and refusing to implement the rectifying order of the press and publication administration;

(IV) the periodical published openly reprint or select and edit the content of the confidential periodicals;

(V) covering or abstracting the content in the internet against Article 28, Section 2 of these regulations;

(VI) failing to carry editorial record of the periodical according to Article 31 of these regulations;

(VII) violating Article 32 of these regulations about mark of front cover;

(VIII) publishing several editions of periodicals with a single number against Article 33 of these regulations;

(IX) violating Article 34, Section 3 of these regulations to publish supplement;

(X) violating the provision of Article 35 of these regulations to publish one–volume edition;

(XI) covering payable news or violating other provisions of Article 38 of these regulations;

(XII) conducting business activities through illicit competition or imposing distribution with power against Article 41 of these regulations.

Article 63 Any news gathering persons of a periodical publishing unit that violates related provisions on Press Card shall be punished in accordance with the “Measures on Administration of Press Cards” formulated by the General Administration of Press and Publication.

Article 64 Any periodical publishing unit that violates related provisions on press stations shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of the “Measures on Administration of Press Stations of Newspaper Office”;

Article 65 Any administrative punishment on a periodical publishing unit shall be noticed to its sponsor and competent administration and can be announced to the public through media.

Where administrative punishment is imposed on a periodical publishing unit, the press and publication administration shall recommend its sponsor or competent administration to give administrative sanction to the direct and major responsible persons or dismiss them.

Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions

Article 66 Temporary Rules on Management of Periodical and Implementation Measures on Administrative Punishment of Temporary Rules on Management of Periodical formulated by General Administration of Press and Publication shall be repealed simultaneously when these regulations come into effective. Other prior provisions on the administration of periodical publication activities stipulated by the press and publication administration that may have conflict with these regulations shall subject to these regulations.

Article 67 These Regulations shall be effective on December 1, 2005.