Bogus trade agency swindles money by selling memberships, fake titles  

媒体曝卖奖的“国字头”协会 颁奖会场报名费不菲

“中国经济贸易促进会”以政界名人为噱头，通过会员制、颁发各种“奖”吸引企业重金参与，2年间风生水起。除针对成功人士，网曝协会还给个体户发奖，并称其是“中国百大杰出企业家”。想当常务副会长一届会费50万，颁奖会VIP席三万多。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- The Beijing Youth Daily has exposed an illegal trade agency that hypes up relations with government officials and makes money by selling memberships and fake awards.

A netizen said he received an invitation letter from the China Economic Trading Promotion Agency for admission to a "summit of global Chinese business leaders" to be held in Hong Kong this May, and was charged 39,800 yuan ($6,478).

A self-employed businessman said he also received an invitation for an award ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, which is used for the country's big legislative and ceremonial activities, but is also for rent.

Zhang Zhonglei, head of the agency's general affairs office, told reporters that the company is registered in Hong Kong and headquartered in Beijing.

An organization must pay 50,000 yuan to become a member of the agency for a session, Zhang said. Titles such as "executive council member," "vice council leader" and "vice chairman" are priced from 80,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan for a session, he added.

Zhang said they have held two summits every year, which offer opportunities for members to make contact with officials and famous entrepreneurs.

A former vice premier and nine former vice chairmen of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference are said to have attended the summit in 2009.

The agency also delivers various made-up awards to its members at the summits, but charges at least 9,800 yuan for non-members to attend.

The agency's website shows that its president, executive president and chairman are all former senior officials. It also has 93 vice chairmen, all of whom are entrepreneurs.

But the agency is not on the list of social organizations on the website of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Reporters found that a Hong Kong-registered company called the "China Economic Trading Promotion Agency Limited" had closed in 2013.

The agency claimed it cooperated with the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission under the State Council, but the commission has announced that it had no relationship with the agency.