China has unveiled regulations to manage the names of social organizations, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. They are the first comprehensive guidelines for the naming of such entities and are set to take effect on May 1, 2024.

China has nearly 900,000 social organizations, spanning social groups, various foundations and private non-enterprise entities, according to the ministry.

At present, specific regulations govern the naming of foundations and private non-enterprise entities, but the names of social groups have no legislative clarity.

The new regulations represent the first standardized guidelines for the names of social groups, and aim to establish a unified system for the management of social organization naming practices, the ministry said.

The terms "first," "highest," "national-level" and similar misleading expressions will not be permitted, according to the guidelines, which also regulate the use of specific individuals' names in the appellations of social organizations.