The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has long issued multiple bans on alcohol consumption within its officials, but excessive drinking remains prevalent. According to CCP officials, a state-owned enterprise executive engaged in a gathering for alcohol consumption during an overseas business trip two years ago, became intoxicated, attempted to board a flight while drunk, and failed to report the incident. They were accused of disloyalty and dishonesty, abusing their authority to seek special privileges. However, this report has sparked mockery among netizens, who speculate that the individuals might have angered someone.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday (April 20th) that the CCP publicly disclosed that Ren Yu, the former chairman and party secretary of the China Aviation Equipment Group Co., Ltd. (referred to as China Aircraft Materials), and Zhao Baohui, the former chief accountant and party committee member, were involved in issues such as “distorted views on achievements, deceiving the organization.”
The report stated that on March 21, 2024, Ren Yu, Zhao Baohui, along with other colleagues including Su, Wu, Jiao, Cui, Li and others, gathered to drink alcohol provided in the lounge at Frankfurt Airport in Germany during a layover on their return trip to China. Zhao Baohui became severely intoxicated and was denied boarding by airline staff. Ren Yu pressured the crew to allow the entire group to board, causing a 68-minute delay in the flight and leading to passenger complaints.
A circulated video showed that due to excessive drinking by the China Aircraft Materials team before takeoff, one person experienced fainting and other physical discomfort, resulting in a delay of over an hour. Ren Yu repeatedly mentioned during communication that he would treat the crew to dinner upon their return to Beijing and claimed that he had only consumed “four liang” of alcohol.
Furthermore, Hu, Jia, Xu, Xiao from the China Aviation Operations Center violated regulations by allowing intoxicated individuals to board, while Gu from the China Aviation Marketing Department used China Aircraft Materials personnel as VIPs and prioritized their upgrade.
Upon returning to China, Ren Yu, Zhao Baohui, and other team members concealed the facts and did not report the situation truthfully. The China Aircraft Materials Discipline Inspection Secretary, Tang, reportedly knew about the intoxication in November 2024 but did not report it. The leadership of China Aircraft Materials also concealed the incident. In March of this year, a higher authority investigated the matter, and Ren Yu, Zhao Baohui provided false information to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, as did Tang.
During a CCTV news broadcast yesterday, it was reported that Ren Yu and Zhao Baohui led the group in drinking and boarding while intoxicated, engaging in deceptive practices and withholding information. Both individuals were stripped of their party positions and government duties, and other officials faced disciplinary action, including demotions. The report accused the individuals of disloyalty to the CCP, stating they “do as they please while disregarding orders and bans,” and are “accustomed to abusing authority and seeking privileges.”
The news has provoked mockery among netizens on overseas social media platforms:
– “When tigers fight, fleas suffer. This situation belongs to the realm of fleas. But you can see how much damage even a flea can cause.”
– “This is just business as usual, but this time it got exposed, and the impact is significant.”
– “According to safety regulations, individuals in such conditions are not allowed to board a plane and should be sent to the ICU. Air China lacks safety awareness, posing potential risks during flights.”
– “They probably offended someone, and then their dirty laundry was aired out. If they had powerful connections, the plane could have waited two more hours for them without any issues.”
– “CCP’s privileges are everywhere. Only by overthrowing the CCP can the people live a good life.”
– “This only surfaced now to divert attention. As long as it’s not a golden person, others can be sacrificed.”
– “People who are still behaving recklessly now usually have a network of family and connections. That’s the most absurd part of this situation. Who dares to behave like this nowadays?”
In fact, the CCP’s officialdom has seen repeated bans on alcohol consumption, yet the problem of alcohol abuse persists, with incidents of officials gathering for excessive eating and drinking resulting in alcohol-related deaths.
For example, in December 2022, six CCP bureau-level officials in Qinghai Province gathered for dinner and alcohol consumption during a training session at the Party School, consuming seven bottles of liquor, leading to the death of one individual. The incident was only reported nearly half a year later, shocking the nation, and prompting crackdowns on Party Schools across the country.
In September 2023, the Hunan Province Commission for Discipline Inspection also reported that eleven leading officials in Xiangxi Prefecture violated regulations by drinking during concentrated training sessions on the “spirit of the Party Congress,” often meeting for alcohol consumption at night after daytime classes.
On May 13th of last year, the CCP reported that ten officials from Henan’s Xinyang City, Luoshan County, gathered for a party and consumed alcohol in violation of regulations during a meeting on the “Eight-point Regulation” in March of the same year. Five individuals drank four bottles of liquor, and Luoshan County’s deputy secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee, Xia Yu, died that afternoon. As a result, the ten officials involved were dismissed, expelled, or demoted.
Independent commentator Du Zheng once stated that alcohol abuse in the CCP officialdom is seen as setting a bad example from the top down, making it difficult to enforce bans effectively.
In a report from the Moutai Liquor News on June 30, 2005, it was revealed that Xi Jinping, who was the Communist Party Secretary of Zhejiang Province at the time, hosted a banquet for Maotai Group Chairman Ji Keliang, and Maotai Liquor Limited Chairman Yuan Renguo. Xi confessed that he had a strong preference for Maotai liquor.
Former President of the Republic of China Ma Ying-jeou mentioned in his memoir that during the “Xi-Ma Meeting” in Singapore in November 2015, Xi Jinping revealed that the former Premier of the CCP, Zhou Enlai, could consume a jin (500g) of Maotai liquor. Whenever he finished a jin, Xi Zhongxun, who served as his deputy, had to step in. It was common for him to stagger home in the evenings. Xi Jinping did not fully understand this until he grew older and realized that it was his father’s job.