China's Officials Slashed Luxury Spending, alcoholic beverages and cigarettes among the first to go

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Posted by AI on 2025-05-20 14:28:35 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-12-24 03:22:15

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China's ongoing crackdown on extravagant behaviors and misuse of power from officials extended to one of their most beloved vices smoking. In late October, officials were reportedly told to abstain from smoking and even meddling in the tobacco industry, with the nation's anti-corruption campaign extending to cigarettes and liquor.

The recent directive, issued by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), specifies that disciplinary inspectors should "resolutely oppose and prevent the abuse of power and the indulgence of life by party and government personnel," according to a translation by Reuters. In addition, they are urged to avoid gift-giving and lavish banquets two prominent features of China's culture of gift-giving and mutual assistance and instead focus on "serving the people."

The CCDI specifically named tobacco and liquor as areas where abuse of power was prevalent, and ordered its disciplinary inspectors to "strike hard" against officials who engage in such behaviors. "Give serious warnings and disciplinary warnings to party members and personnel who have violated the discipline and the law, and deal with them according to the situation," the directive said.

This is not the first attempt to curb such behaviors. China has previously attempted to tackle the tobacco problem among officials by publicly naming and shaming those caught smoking, as well as reducing the number of smoking areas in government buildings. Just this week, a high-ranking official in Shanghai was sacked and expelled from the Communist Party for failing to follow the city's anti-smoking laws.

The impact of this latest directive remains to be seen. Some observers are skeptical about the effectiveness of past efforts to tackle official corruption and extravagance. Others view these attempts as a symbolic measure from Xi Jinping's government, which has increasingly tightened its grip on power and societal behaviors.

Regardless of the outcomes, one thing is certain: officials will need to find a new vice. Perhaps gourmet foodies will be the next to feel the heat.

Go!