Today’s Focus: Alcohol Ban Bursts Economic Bubble, Mainland China Faces Collapse in Various Industries; Crisis Reveals Truth, Criticism of CCP’s Evacuation Action; Iran Fails to Restart Nuclear Talks with Three European Countries.
Recently, the CCP issued a new alcohol ban, prohibiting the provision of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages in official receptions. This seemingly simple ban on the surface has triggered a series of domino effects. Not only has the catering industry, liquor, and tobacco industry been severely affected, but also industries such as chauffeur services, tourism, and exhibitions have been impacted. What is the reason behind this? Let’s take a closer look:
In May of this year, the State Council of the CCP revised the “Regulations on Opposing Waste,” explicitly stating that cigarettes and alcohol should not be provided in official receptions, including state-owned enterprises and institutions.
The ban initially hit hard on the already struggling catering industry. In Xinyang, Henan Province, netizens captured images of many high-end hotels setting up stalls on the streets, selling similar dishes with slight variations in taste.
A restaurant manager in Liaoning mentioned to Epoch Times that the impact of this alcohol ban is more severe than the epidemic. He said that just when they had barely survived the epidemic, they were hit by an economic slump. As summer approaches, hoping to make some money, but then comes the alcohol ban. Regular folks don’t have money to eat out; officials have money but are not allowed to dine out.
Not only the catering industry, but the liquor industry has also been severely affected. The latest report released by the China Alcoholic Drinks Association shows that in the first half of 2025, 60% of liquor companies saw a decline in profits, with over half of distributors and retailers operating at a loss, and 40% of retailers facing cash flow problems.
Manager Wu, who has been in the liquor business for 30 years, stated that after the alcohol ban was implemented, the liquor and tobacco industries were significantly impacted. Large hotels with whom they had long-term collaborations started canceling orders frequently, leading to a pile-up of unsold liquor. He lamented that business this year has been too challenging!
Even high-end liquor brands couldn’t hold their value, with the wholesale price of Feitian Moutai falling below 2,000 yuan, which is over 300 yuan cheaper than at the beginning of the year.
Wang, who runs a liquor wholesale business, revealed that Maotai is currently incurring the most losses. He recently purchased 50 cases of Maotai, and now each bottle incurs a loss of over 200 yuan, resulting in a total loss of over 50,000 yuan.
Another industry hit hard is the chauffeur service sector. With a sharp decrease in dining events, the chauffeur service almost came to a halt. In various chauffeur driver forums, it is evident that a driver who used to receive three to four orders in a night or even more is now struggling to get even a single order, with some experiencing several consecutive days without any bookings. Some chauffeurs have had to find alternative means of income.
A mere alcohol ban decree has surprisingly triggered such unexpected chain reactions, leaving many bewildered.
Some netizens commented that by just banning “cigarettes and alcohol in official receptions,” why have so many industries been severely impacted? The answer is quite simple; these industries heavily rely on power-related consumption.
In the past, high-end liquor was essential for gifting, official banquets were a significant aspect of catering, high-end cigarettes, conference tourism, chauffeur services, all revolving around the consumption chain associated with the system. When the ban came into effect, severing this chain led to the bursting of the consumption bubble.
This so-called alcohol ban unveiled a harsh reality to the public that over these years, it wasn’t the market itself but grey consumption fueled by power dominance that propped up this “prosperity.”
This raised a more profound question – when some industries in a country are sustained by officials using public funds for wining and dining, is this type of “prosperity” what the ordinary people desire?
The alcohol ban didn’t prohibit official hospitality; it simply banned cigarettes and alcohol. However, this seemingly small action acted as a mirror, reflecting the true face of the “wining and dining economy.” This unavoidably prompts people to ponder – how much money has been pocketed by these individuals over these years? And how many ordinary people could have had a better life with that money?
As the military conflict between Israel and Iran continues to escalate, various countries are taking steps to rescue their citizens while the CCP’s evacuation arrangements have drawn criticism. According to several overseas Chinese, the actions of the CCP Consulate in Israel during the crisis differed significantly from the official propaganda. They claimed that the consulate failed to provide substantial assistance. What is the reality behind this? Let’s take a closer look:
Some overseas Chinese revealed that when they called the consulate to inquire about evacuation matters, they were only instructed to follow the official account on WeChat without receiving any concrete guidance or effective assistance. It wasn’t until June 17, the fifth day of the conflict outbreak, that the CCP Consulate in Israel issued an evacuation notice, but its coverage was limited, and many people were unaware. On June 18, in the early hours, the consulate relayed the evacuation information to students through student unions, requiring them to respond and fill out forms within 30 minutes. They even emphasized, “Do not spread the word.” Meaning, this evacuation was only for students, excluding other overseas Chinese holding Chinese passports.
An enraged Chinese national working in Israel expressed, “There are around 30,000 Chinese citizens in Israel, yet there are fewer than 1,000 students. We, the workers, also hold Chinese passports, so why the discriminatory treatment?”
What’s even more baffling is that the “evacuation” organized by the Chinese Consulate was self-funded. The consulate only arranged for rental cars, with all costs split among the participants. Furthermore, the consulate instructed overseas Chinese to remain calm if they encounter alarms during the evacuation to avoid “tarnishing the country’s image.”
An overseas Chinese, expressing anger, questioned, “Do people who are not panicking need to be evacuated?”
This peculiar “evacuation” operation orchestrated by the CCP was excessively publicized. On June 19, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that hundreds of Chinese citizens were safely evacuated from Israel, pledging to continue assisting in the safe relocation of Chinese citizens.
In comparison, Taiwan’s evacuation operation appeared more prompt, effective, and humane. Several Taiwanese netizens mentioned on social media platforms that immediately after the conflict broke out, the Taiwanese mission in Israel promptly contacted Taiwanese nationals, confirming their safety statuses one by one and arranging special vehicles to transport them to the Jordanian border.
Afterwards, many Taiwanese netizens posted messages of gratitude, emphasizing that their Chinese friends were less fortunate, as when they attempted to reach the Chinese consulate, the staff provided no substantial assistance, only suggesting they make their way to the Jordanian border.
In recent years, during multiple international conflicts, the approach taken by CCP consulates in evacuation matters has demonstrated a lack of action.
During the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian War, the CCP had initially promised to evacuate citizens on charter planes. However, two days later, the plan was canceled due to “practical difficulties.” Subsequently, they announced the initiation of bus evacuations, but according to several Chinese students in Ukraine, the embassy failed to provide any significant assistance, instead, instructing students to “fend for themselves” or “stockpile two weeks’ worth of supplies.”
A Chinese student in Kyiv made multiple calls to the CCP Embassy seeking help, only to be reprimanded by the staff and hung up on. Despite the official claims of a “smooth evacuation for Chinese nationals,” the reality was that Chinese students were forced to fend for themselves.
During the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict, the US, UK, India, Australia, and other countries swiftly launched evacuation operations, with multiple countries deploying charter flights to assist in the evacuation of their citizens. However, the CCP’s foreign diplomatic system made no arrangements for evacuations.
As per leaked chat screenshots circulating online, a Chinese student called the CCP Embassy, only to be warned by the staff and even threatened to remain silent.
A student commented, “Only after going abroad did I realize that ‘wolf warrior diplomacy’ is the biggest lie.” It wasn’t until the Israel-Hamas conflict that they realized the Chinese consulate had failed to fulfill its responsibility to ensure the safety of overseas citizens.
With Israel continuing its airstrikes and Iran unable to withstand, Iran launched diplomatic efforts. On June 20, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi held talks in Geneva with foreign diplomats from the UK, France, and Germany, aiming to restart discussions on the long-stalled Iran nuclear deal.
Sources revealed that Iran was willing to consider technical limitations on “uranium enrichment” but would not accept a complete halt. The official pointed out that given the current situation, Iran was unwilling to engage directly with the US, instead preferring the three European countries to push for a new round of diplomatic solutions.
However, the three European countries had already firmly stated their support for the “zero enrichment” demand proposed by US President Trump, a stance firmer than when the nuclear agreement was signed in 2015.
According to The Washington Post, during the meeting, European officials pressured the Iranian Foreign Minister to restrict Iran’s nuclear program. However, the negotiations did not yield groundbreaking progress. After the meeting, European officials stated that they had urged Tehran to limit its nuclear activities and engage in discussions with Washington. But Iran’s Foreign Minister refuted, stating that Israeli attacks must cease before any resumption of talks with the White House.
Despite officials being willing to continue negotiations, Trump set a two-week deadline, leaving little time for them. An unnamed European diplomat mentioned that the time for the next meeting had not been confirmed, but officials aimed to convene another meeting within the last-minute deadline set by Trump, which is within two weeks.
The report further indicated that in the afternoon, during an interview, Trump remarked that Iran should engage in dialogue with the US, as Europe couldn’t assist in the matter.
– Production Team of Jia Yin Moments”