Foreign-Related Social Investigations Put into Right Channel ����The Provisional Regulations for Foreign-Related Social Investigations in China lately promulgated by the State Statistical Bureau specifically stipulate that China will give qualified cognizance to institutions engaging in foreign-related social investigations and will test their identity and check on their relevant activities in China. ����From October 15 on, the government will examine and approve all foreign-related social investigations when these are launched on a scale beyond a province, an autonomous region or a centrally-administered municipality, and necessary licenses will be issued starting from 1 January 2000. According to the Regulations, any institution undertaking foreign-related social investigations should seek approval by relevant official statistics offices at or above the provincial level and be granted with necessary license available. The institutions with necessary license issued include Chinese investigation enterprises (social groups, enterprises undertaking foreign-related social investigations) entrusted and subsidized by foreign groups, individuals or institutions, foreign-invested investigation enterprises in China, or foreign-controlled Chinese-foreign joint investigation ventures. Any group or individual outside of China, representative institutions of foreign enterprises and other foreign groups or their branches have no right to conduct direct social investigations in China. This also makes no exception with all individuals and institutions not licensed. Economicnews 1999-08-02 Page2 Full Story in Chinese