Beyond the local PPBs, the national GAPP must approve all cooperation deals between local and foreign magazine publishers (or their reps), so these are the same guys who ultimately pull the strings.
I am not too sure about Shanghai's PPB being particularily conservative (they were the ones who signed very early cooperation deals in magazine publishing, with ELLE for example in the early 90's, or with Bauer, and in distribution, with Bertelsmann and later, in 2002 with HDS -world leading magazine distributor in "renting" them discreetly a licence-, when these distribution activities was still illegal, prior dec. 2004, and even without Beijing's approval in the case of Bertelsmann...)
By the way, Mr Shi Feng of the GAPP, the Director in charge of magazines, just left the GAPP, with a huge pile of demands concerning foreign brands on his desk (but maybe there is no relation)...
In anycase I guess that the GAPP guys were more attentive to the international questionning and debats concerning the Rolling Stones saga, and the attached bad signals, than local PPBs, and that they possibly pulled the strings in consequence...
Nothing is sure concerning the exact path, but what is sure is that nothing happens in this field without roundtrips between the center and the province(s).

yay subs!

boo crappy chinese logo: nothing looks sexier than the rolling stones logo, nothing!

I have heard that Rolling Stone Chinese Edition is closed? Are there anyone can confirm this news? Anyway, the Chinese edition of the iconic magazine has been badly done from the 1st issue. The magazine's content showed the editorial team has no sense of marketing, which is needed for survival is they want to get any advertising at all. With all due respect to Subs, who was on one of the RS covers. How many advertisers would target Subs fans (or rock music fans in general)? Never mind the iconic RS logo placed on one side of the very busy cover is an insult to the worldwide branding of RS (corporate ID policy usually forbid such alternation and, judging from other edition of RS magazines in other countries, you feel it is required for RS China also), the content is handled by the same old clique of music writers in the same old style no difference from what they have been writing for other music magazine that has no advertising support. If the demise of the Rolling Stone Chinese edition is true, I feel sorry for Jan Wenner that his pop culture iconic brand has met their Waterloo in China due to the mishandling of the title.

Yes. SCMP carried an article a week ago that blamed the cancellation on the inability of Chinese advertisers to wrap their minds around Rolling Stone's unique format. Of course, it could also have been the magazine's fault, like you say. Here's a summary; full article is behind a paywall here.

Yes. Closed. We're running an interview with the publisher, Robby Yung in the Asia Media Journal, in a week.

Does Rolling Stone chinese edition have web address????

Let me know,please.

I collect that magazine from around the world.

Arturo Agustin