Civil servants and Party members are banned from running stores on online shopping platforms like taobao.com, a newspaper affiliated with the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, China's top disciplinary watchdog, and the Ministry of Supervision, said in a report on Monday.
In response to a question whether it is legal for officials who are members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to own online stores on e-commerce platform taobao.com or social networking app WeChat, the Zhongguo Jijian Jiancha Bao newspaper said on its website officials who were Party members were prohibited from operating online stores, according to a set of Party rules on sanctions for those who violate the Party code of conduct, which stipulates that members engaging in profit-making activities will be punished.
According to the Party rules, the profit-making activities include running businesses, owning shares of an unlisted company, purchasing and selling stocks as well as securities as a means of investment, offering paid agent services, and registering or investing in companies abroad.
Those who breach the Party rules will be warned, deprived of their Party positions, or expelled from the Party, depending on the seriousness of their violations, said the article.
The CPC Central Committee in October 2015 issued the set of Party rules which took effect since January 1, 2016.
