Recently, there have been frequent incidents in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) where officials have died from excessive drinking at gatherings. Following the announcement of three similar incidents, authorities have intensified efforts to crack down on all types of lavish banquets, with many regions declaring their stance on the matter. It has been rumored online that the CCP has prohibited gatherings of more than three people within the system. However, it is believed by outsiders that alcohol abuse is rampant in the CCP ranks and cannot be effectively eradicated; the CCP is more concerned about officials forming political cliques.
In a recent report by Xinhua News Agency on May 13, it was disclosed that 10 officials from Henan Province violated regulations by drinking excessively during a so-called “educational training session”, where five of them shared four bottles of liquor, resulting in the death of one individual on the same day. On June 1, Xinhua News Agency reported that Luo Panjun, the former head of the United Front Work Department in Huangmei County, Hubei Province, died in the afternoon after illegally dining and drinking. Similarly, on the same day, Wu Xingzhou, the deputy secretary of the Party Committee in Qianling Township, Susong County, Anhui Province, died in the early hours of the next day after engaging in an unauthorized drinking session.
On May 28, the CCP Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that a total of 6483 incidents of violating regulations on eating and drinking have been investigated and dealt with nationwide this year.
Chinese media outlet “Tide News” mentioned that some individuals have resorted to “going underground” by hosting banquets in private clubs, private eateries, internal cafeterias of enterprises, and even in the homes of private entrepreneurs.
The CCP has issued multiple bans on alcohol consumption in official circles, but the problem of alcohol abuse persists. In December 2022, during a training session at the Qinghai Provincial Party School, six senior officials of the CCP consumed seven bottles of liquor, resulting in the death of one person. The incident was not reported until nearly six months later, sparking widespread attention and leading to crackdowns on party schools across the country.
The military in the CCP is not exempt from such incidents. At the end of 2015, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense confirmed that Zhang Yan, the commander of the 26th Army, along with two former subordinates from the 39th Army, consumed alcohol together, resulting in one person’s death. Zhang Yan was demoted and dismissed from his position. In September 2017, Political Commissar Huang Hongfei of the Type 052D missile destroyer Nanjing within the Eastern Fleet died of suffocation due to alcohol intoxication.
Recently, the CCP has been vigorously promoting the so-called “Central Eight-point Regulations,” also known as the “Xi Eight Rules,” but incidents involving officials have become hot topics on social media. Several provinces and municipalities have expressed intentions to crack down on unauthorized dining and drinking, while official media outlets have re-emphasized the prohibitions on attending 20 types of banquets issued by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. There are reports suggesting that the CCP has banned gatherings of more than three people within the system.
On June 7, a netizen on mainland China’s Weibo platform revealed that not only has the CCP enforced prohibitions on alcohol consumption internally, but in some areas, authorities have also prohibited government employees, public institution staff, and state-owned enterprise personnel from dining out in groups of more than three, even with colleagues, requiring individual talks and signed commitments.
Commentator Li Lin expressed to Epoch Times that the CCP is merely seizing on this issue because the problems of corruption and keeping mistresses among a large number of officials are even more severe, yet they have not been addressed in the same vigorous manner by the authorities. The current CCP regime is in a precarious position, particularly fearing the formation of political factions by officials.
A mainland Chinese lawyer stated to NTD that the CCP is actually afraid of internal opposition because it relies on personnel within the system to serve its interests and suppress the public, but due to the backward policies of CCP leader Xi Jinping, life has become increasingly difficult for system employees. On one hand, as local finances become more strained, officials within the system are experiencing reduced incomes; on the other hand, the CCP’s prohibition on officials traveling abroad has also led to discontent within the system.
Independent commentator Du Zheng previously wrote that the problem of alcohol abuse in the CCP is pervasive from the top down, making it difficult to eradicate.
In an article published on June 30, 2005, in “Maotai Liquor Newspaper,” it was revealed that Xi Jinping, who was then the Party Secretary of Zhejiang Province, hosted a meeting where he entertained Maotai Group Chairman Ji Keliang and Maotai Liquor Co., Ltd. Chairman Yuan Renguo. Xi admitted that he has always been a fan of Maotai liquor and had served 80-year-old Maotai to former Party leader Jiang Zemin and his wife the year before (2004). Li Qiang, who was the Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee at the time, claimed that Xi’s good health was attributed to his long-term consumption of Maotai.
In recent years, the CCP’s interactions with “communist brothers” have often revolved around Maotai liquor. On March 26, 2018, Xi Jinping hosted a banquet for visiting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Observers noted that the servers were holding two bottles of “Sauce Bottle Aizui Maotai,” a rare Maotai variety specifically supplied, with online specialty stores listing a price as high as 1.28 million RMB per bottle.
Since 1949, Maotai liquor has been a favorite among CCP leaders, known as the “national liquor.” Former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai was famous for his love of Maotai both within and outside the Party. Even during difficult times, CCP high-ranking officials enjoyed exclusive dining and drinking privileges without restrictions. In an article dated February 14, 2001, in the 11th edition of “Shanghai Evening News,” it was detailed how during the three years of the Great Famine, Zhou Enlai, despite widespread hunger, still indulged in Maotai.
In the 1960s during the Great Famine, a meeting was held in Beijing by the CCP’s literary and artistic circles. Premier Zhou Enlai invited everyone to take a few days off at Xishan and planned a dinner for nourishment. On that day, when Premier Zhou arrived at Xishan Guesthouse, he told Xia Yan, “Today I want to drink some alcohol.” Consequently, Xie Jin, Yu Yang, and a few others who could drink alcohol well were assigned to sit with the Premier. The article described how Maotai was poured for everyone, and before they knew it, several tables consumed several bottles, with the Premier himself consuming around seven liang (approximately 3.5 ounces) of Maotai.
Former President of the Republic of China, Ma Ying-jeou, mentioned in his memoirs that during the “Xi-Ma Meeting” in Singapore in November 2015, Xi Jinping revealed that former Premier Zhou Enlai’s capacity for alcohol was a jin (approximately 16 ounces) of Maotai. Whenever Zhou finished a jin of Maotai, Xi, as his deputy, would have to “take the stage,” often staggering home at night. Xi admitted he didn’t fully understand it until he was older, realizing that it was his father’s work.
Overall, these incidents underscore the pervasive issue of alcohol abuse within the Chinese Communist Party, which continues to pose challenges despite the authorities’ efforts to address and curtail such behaviors.