Business administrators in Shanghai turned down the application for the establishment of a Playboy club in the east China metropolis, a spokeswoman for the municipal government said.

The spokeswoman, Jiao Yang, said at a routine press briefing Wednesday that the application did not comply with the requirements of China's corporation law and regulations on capital registration.

Shanghai Entertainment Ltd., an American firm, announced Tuesday that it would launch Playboy Club Shanghai in the Changning urban District through its joint investment with the Shanghai Times Supermarket Investment & Construction Co. Ltd., and that the club was expected to open at the end of 2005, according to the announcement.

Earlier, Shanghai Entertainment Ltd. was authorized by Playboy Enterprises to use its logo.

(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2004)