In the later stages of the Beijing Government’s rule， the Ministry of Education imposed more stringent regulations on the registration of private universities， However， these measures were more formal than substantive， as the Ministry of Education was slow in processing registration applications. The inspection system gradually became defunct， and the approval process for registration exhibited serious bureaucratic characteristics. The Ministry of Education was relatively lenient in approving applications for private universities， allowing at least provisional permits in all but a few exceptional cases. This approach reflects the resignedness of a weak government， and can also be seen as a kind of “governing wisdom”. The relationship between the Ministry of Education and the private universities in the later stages of Beijing Government’s rule was an interdependent one in which the Ministry of Education gained authority， while the private universities gained legitimacy and tangible benefits.