Taishan Club
| Named after | Mount Tai |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1993 |
| Dissolved | January 20, 2021 |
| Location |
Taishan Club (Chinese: 泰山会; pinyin: Tàishān huì) was a Mainland China-based super-rich club[1] founded by Duan Yongji.[2] It was named after Mount Tai,[3] initially registered under the name of the Taishan Industrial Research Institute in 1993.[4]
The house rules of the Taishan Club prohibited its members from taping, recording during meetings, accepting media interviews or inviting officials, discussing politics, [5] and was regarded as the Chinese version of "Freemasonry".[6] It was also compared to the United States-based Skull and Bones Society.[7]
Taishan Club was dissolved on January 20, 2021,[8] and its cancellation had been completed with the relevant department.[9] Before the dissolution of the Club, it had 16 members, including Liu Chuanzhi, Duan Yongji, Feng Lun, Lu Zhiqiang, Guo Guangchang, Shi Yuzhu, Li Yanhong, Duan Yongping, Wang Zhongjun, and others. Jack Ma was also a member of the Club, but later withdrew due to frequent leave of absence.[10]
There were reports that Taishan Club was disbanded because of major disagreements among its members, but some analysts say it had something to do with the Chinese Communist Party authorities.[11]
References[edit]
- ^ "Taishan Club quietly dissolved". Apple Daily. Feb 15, 2021. Archived from the original on June 19, 2021.
- ^ Cheng Li (18 October 2016). Chinese Politics in the Xi Jinping Era: Reassessing Collective Leadership. Brookings Institution Press. pp. 149–. ISBN 978-0-8157-2693-7.
- ^ "Taishan Club is incomparable to Freemasonry". Apple Daily. Feb 15, 2021. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021.
- ^ William Zheng (Feb 13, 2021). "Sun sets on China's billionaire Taishan Club as Communist Party takes care of business". South China Morning Post.
- ^ "China's 'masons' disband fat-cat Taishan club amid crackdown on business alliances". Apple Daily. 2021-02-15.
- ^ "Mainland media reported that the "Taishan Club" was recently disbanded". Sing Tao Daily. 2021-01-25.
- ^ "A Closer Look at China's 'Top Rich Organization'". SET News. 2021-01-31.
- ^ "Because of Jack Ma? The Taishan Club is said to be disbanded". World Journal. Jan 27, 2021.
- ^ "Mysterious "Taishan Club" formed by billionaires disbanded". Apple Daily. Feb 15, 2021. Archived from the original on June 19, 2021.
- ^ "The threshold for membership in the Taishan Club is said to be RMB 100 million". China Times. Jan 27, 2021.
- ^ "China's top tycoon club "Taishan Club" disbanded". Liberty Times. 2021-02-23.