Criminal law of the people's Republic of China
Article 225 Whoever, in violation of State regulations, commits one of the following illegal business operations and disrupts the market order, if the circumstances are serious, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years or criminal detention, and shall also, or shall only, be fined not less than one time but not more than five times the illegal income; If the circumstances are especially serious, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years, and shall also be fined not less than one time but not more than five times for illegal gains or confiscation of property:
(a) operating a franchise or monopoly commodity or other commodities whose operation is restricted by laws and administrative regulations without permission;
(2) buying and selling import and export licenses, import and export certificates of origin and other business licenses or approval documents stipulated by laws and administrative regulations;
(three) without the approval of the relevant competent departments of the state, illegally engaged in securities, futures, insurance business, or illegally engaged in fund payment and settlement business;
(four) other illegal business activities that seriously disrupt the market order.
Interpretation: the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC)'s Decision on Punishing Crimes of Fraudulent Purchase of Foreign Exchange, Evasion of Foreign Exchange and Illegal Trading of Foreign Exchange and the Supreme People's Court's Interpretation on Several Issues Concerning the Specific Application of Laws in the Trial of Criminal Cases of Fraudulent Purchase of Foreign Exchange and Illegal Trading of Foreign Exchange, those who illegally buy or sell foreign exchange outside the trading places stipulated by the state and disrupt the market order shall be punished as illegal business operations.