According to the PEW Research Center, official corruption is considered a “very big problem” by more than half of the Chinese public<\/a>. Since becoming China’s president and the CCP’s general secretary, Xi Jinping has initiated a massive crackdown on corruption<\/a> that has so far doled punishment to nearly 20,000 officials<\/a>\u00a0and implicated even those from the highest ranks of Party power<\/a>. Along with this drive to root out graft, Xi has launched austerity measures<\/a> aimed to quell outrage at what is known as the “three public expenditures<\/a>” (\u4e09\u516c\u7ecf\u8d39)\u2014public funds used to finance officials’ lavish banquets, vehicles, and overseas trips. Xinhua reports on a\u00a0new set of \u00a0rules issued to civil, Party, and SOE officials<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n
It also orders officials below the provincial level to avoid staying in hotel suites on business trips. [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Another report from Xinhua focuses in on the new regulation’s ban on rare wild animal products<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n
Officials on business tours should arrange their own meals according to relevant expenditure standards and the local hosts are allowed to provide only one reception dinner if needed, the regulation said. [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
According to yet another report from Xinhua, some local Party officials are welcoming the new regulatory development as an escape from the hardships of overindulgence<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n
“My glutted stomach finally gets a rest as receptions, especially ones involving accommodation, are few and far between because of the frugality campaign,” the official surnamed Guo said. [Source<\/a><\/strong>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
As a local official in Damao enjoys respite from gluttony, environmentalists are rejoicing over the bans on wild animal products<\/a><\/strong>. From the South China Morning Post:<\/p>\n
Shark fin soup has long been a luxury enjoyed by China\u2019s wealthy, but environmentalists say shark populations around the world have been decimated by its consumption. [Source<\/a><\/strong>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The Wall Street Journal looks at social media commentary on the new rules<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe regulations are (like) a kind father educating his good-for-nothing sons,\u201d said one user. \u201cBut will his sons listen? This is a warning to officials and is more progressive than practical.\u201d [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
As has been noted during previous austerity and anti-corruption campaigns, rules on official consumption can hurt the revenues of luxury firms<\/a>. The South China Morning Post reports that some alcohol producers\u2014both Chinese and foreign\u2014are seeing this frugality drive impact their bottom lines<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n
Expensive wine and spirit brands such as Moutai, once a darling of the wealthy Chinese, have fallen out of favour. The Chinese Luxury Consumer Survey this year of individuals with personal wealth of more than 10 million yuan, found that high-end baijiu brand Moutai had dropped out of the Top 10 preferred gift items by male millionaires. [Source<\/a><\/strong>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Th Global Times reports that the ongoing frugality campaign, along with concerns over an exceptionally smoggy<\/a>\u00a0early winter season in China, have led to a slump in fireworks sales<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n
A circular released in late November by the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country’s top discipline watchdog, urged officials not to buy fireworks and firecrackers with public funds during holidays. [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The Global Times also reports that the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection\u2014China’s anti-graft watchdog\u2014is planning to standardize the benefits enjoyed by officials based on their bureaucratic position<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n
The comments made by the commission followed the road map for reform decisions of the\u00a0Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee<\/a>, which requested better regulation for the officials’ benefits to avoid extravagance and corruption.<\/p>\n
Only a limited number of personnel at certain levels are allowed special official cars, full-time secretaries and bodyguards, according to a statement on the commission’s website. [Source<\/a><\/strong>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"