Friday, 13-Jun-2003 9:42PM

BEIJING, June 13 (UPI) -- China's Shakespeare Association and other cultural groups have been banned in China, the London Telegraph reported Friday.

Along with Shakespeare, more than 60 other seemingly inoffensive academic and cultural groups have been banned by Communist Party authorities.

A list of newly illegal organizations appeared on the Web site of the Civil Affairs Ministry with a note saying they had failed to fulfill "registration requirements."

No specific reason was given for the bans but it is thought that many of the groups had failed a tough registration clause demanding they show assets of $13,280 (100,000 yuan).

The banned list also included the China Fishing Association.

http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/bi/Uchina-shakespeare.RecD_DuD.html