China announces fines of 170,000 RMB in illegal cases related to the "busiest five-person group"

Chinese authorities announced that they handled four illegal cases related to the "busiest five-person group," with fines of 170,000 yuan (RMB, same below; S$32,500).

According to CCTV News, China's State Administration for Market Regulation said at a press conference on Tuesday (July 28) that since March this year it has deployed market regulation systems nationwide to carry out a three-month special rectification campaign against illegal and non-compliant conduct in festival, exhibition, and forum activities.

The State Administration for Market Regulation said that as of now, market regulation departments nationwide have handled a total of 197 illegal cases related to festivals, exhibitions, and forums, with fines and confiscations of 2.771 million yuan, and ordered 476 entities to rectify.

They handled four illegal cases involving private ranking companies such as "crudely made rankings," with fines of 3.4 million yuan.

They handled four illegal cases related to the "busiest five-person group," with fines of 170,000 yuan.

Regarding the "busiest five-person group" incident, it began in early December last year when the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau of Zhuxi County, Hubei Province, issued a bidding announcement.

This notice on the winning bid results for a mechanical equipment leasing procurement project mentioned that the review panel members included Zhang Jiwei, Lin Guorui, Lin Wenshu, Lin Yanan, and Jiang Yiyun.

Some netizens discovered that these five names were exactly the same as the first five names listed in Baidu Wenku's "Complete Collection of 10,000 Ordinary Chinese Names," with not even the order changed.

After the news spread, China's internet launched a full-scale investigation of these five "people." Their names frequently appeared in various public announcement lists, and some netizens jokingly called them the "busiest five-person group on the internet."