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China Proposes Adding Cryptocurrency Mining to Blacklist

Beijing to enshrine in law a ban that’s forced miners from the country. Proposed list of prohibited industries is shortened, however


People rest at a park near Beijing's central business area
The property sector, accounts for roughly a quarter of the GDP of the world’s second-largest economy. Photo: Reuters

 

China has added cryptocurrency mining to a draft list of industries in which investment is restricted or prohibited, although it reduced the number of sectors on the list overall, a document released by the state planner showed on Friday.

The “negative list” details sectors and industries that are off-limits to both Chinese and foreign investors.

Regulators in China banned cryptocurrency trading and mining this year, with the country’s central bank vowing to purge “illegal” cryptocurrency activities last month. The crackdown has prompted cryptocurrency exchanges to cut tie with Chinese users.

China also has been tightening control over public discourse, cracking down on show business for “polluting” society and asking mobile browsers to eliminate the spreading of rumours, the use of sensationalist headlines and the publishing of content that violates the core values of socialism.

The state planner said it was halting the investment of “non-public” capital into a variety of publishing activities, including live broadcasts, news-gathering, editing and broadcasting entities and the operation of news.

Non-public capital cannot be involved in the introduction of news released by overseas entities or summits and award selection activities in the field of news and public opinion, the NDRC added.

The draft 2021 list of industries in which investment is either restricted or prohibited has been cut to 117, the National Development and Reform Commission said, down from 123 in 2020.

Industries not on the list are open for investment to all with no approvals required.

 

• Reuters with additional editing by Mark McCord

 

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Mark McCord

Mark McCord is a financial journalist with more than three decades experience writing and editing at global news wires including Bloomberg and AFP, as well as daily newspapers in Hong Kong, Sydney and Melbourne. He has covered some of the biggest breaking news events in recent years including the Enron scandal, the New York terrorist attacks and the Iraq War. He is based in the UK. You can tweet to Mark at @MarkMcC64371550.