In recent years, there have been frequent incidents of Chinese Communist Party officials causing deaths due to drinking in groups. Recently, the CCP reported that multiple officials in Inner Mongolia violated rules by gathering for a meal and drinking, resulting in one death. This topic has become a hot topic on social media, sparking discussions among internet users.
According to a report by the CCP’s official media on June 21st, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region People’s Congress Finance and Economic Committee branch party members, deputy directors, and the region’s State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission officials, including Wei Shuanshi, violated regulations by dining and drinking, seriously violating the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection’s eight-point regulations.
It was found that on May 6th, Wei Shuanshi accompanied his family to Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology Baotou Medical College Second Hospital for a medical consultation. Later, he and the former Party Committee Secretary of the hospital, Wang Qiufeng, and the director of the Intervention Department, Guo Jun, went to the office of He Yuxi, the former director of the Radiology Department of Baotou Fourth Hospital at the Second Hospital to catch up.
He Yuxi proposed a dinner gathering on May 7th, and Wei Shuanshi mentioned that he would prepare drinks and cover the meal expenses. That night, over ten people gathered for a dinner at a guesthouse in Baotou.
Wei Shuanshi, Guo Jun, Wang Qiufeng, Jiang Zhenyu, and others drank liquor. The meal expenses were arranged for a private enterprise to pay by Wei Shuanshi.
After the dinner, Wang Qiufeng organized Guo Jun and Jiang Zhenyu to continue dining and drinking at a nearby barbecue restaurant near his home.
The next day, Guo Jun was found dead at home. Upon learning of Guo Jun’s death, Wei Shuanshi and others discussed privately with Guo Jun’s family for a settlement but disagreed on the amount. On May 15th, Wei Shuanshi voluntarily reported the situation to the Autonomous Region Commission for Discipline Inspection.
Following an investigation by the Inner Mongolia Commission for Discipline Inspection, it was found that Wei Shuanshi was also involved in other serious issues. He has been placed under investigation, and other individuals involved have been given party warnings and reprimands.
In response to this, internet users have been actively discussing:
“The culture of drinking at official gatherings is a kind of servile display; not drinking is not an option.”
“The garbage table culture – not drinking implies disrespect; not drinking means there is nothing to talk about.”
“Your drinking capacity determines your workload; not drinking means losing face, leaders force you to drink.”
The prevalence of the Chinese drinking culture in official circles serves not only as a form of socializing and relationship-building but also as a test of compliance. Individuals often do not have control over how much they drink, and defying the pressure to drink can have consequences due to varying capacity levels.
“Out of 8 million people, a couple of deaths from drinking are nothing…”
“Perhaps drinking to death is the best ending for that group…”
Recently, there have been numerous incidents of officials in China causing deaths due to drinking in groups.
On June 1st, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced that on April 5th, Zhang Jian, Deputy District Chief of Jinniu District in Chengdu, returned to his hometown in Hubei to commemorate his ancestors. Local officials entertained him with high-end tobacco and liquor. The organizer of the meal was a retired official, and among the participants were several current officials. After three rounds of drinks, Luo Panjun, member of the Huangmei County Party Committee and Minister of the United Front Work Department, left the gathering and died suddenly. Autopsy results showed an alcohol content of 4.35 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood, with the cause of death being sudden cardiac arrest.
Following the incident, Huangmei County Party Secretary Ma Liang instructed the county’s office director to alter the report, concealing Zhang Jian’s identity, reducing the number of attendees, and blurring the source of payment.
The report also mentioned another fatal drinking incident. On April 27th, Wu Xingzhou, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Qianling Township in Susong County, Anhui, organized a dinner that involved almost the entire township’s Party and government leadership. That evening, seven people consumed white liquor, and Wu Xingzhou died due to suffocation from reflux after drinking excessively.
After the gathering, the attendees collectively compensated the family members and agreed to keep the incident confidential. Village Chief Zhang Jinguo even contacted companies to “sponsor” the deceased’s family, attempting to cover up the truth.
The public report also referred to another fatal drinking incident. On March 22nd, ten officials at the Learning “Central Eight Regulations” Conference in Luoshan County, Xinyang City, Henan Province, gathered and violated regulations by dining and drinking. Five people shared four bottles of liquor, and one individual died the same afternoon after drinking.
Afterward, when the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of Luoshan County Party Committee reported to the County Party Committee, they concealed the alcohol consumption of the deceased member. County Party Secretary Yu Guofang was aware that the report was false but did not report it to higher authorities. Officials have stated that relevant personnel have been dealt with accordingly.
According to data analysis from the 2016 Global Burden of Disease Study published by The Lancet, alcohol consumption leads to 2.8 million deaths worldwide every year. In China, this accounts for 700,000 alcohol-related deaths annually.
In an analysis by the Legal Evening News in early 2017, since the 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, there have been at least 21 cases of officials involving in alcohol-related deaths in just over four years.
With the recent surge of incidents of officials dying due to alcohol consumption, the Chinese State Council has introduced new regulations, strictly banning alcohol and tobacco. Local authorities have been quick to follow suit, implementing stricter measures with Yunnan enforcing a new regulation prohibiting alcohol consumption among public officials; Shapingba District in Chongqing issuing the “Five Prohibitions of Alcohol”; Yanqing District in Beijing enforcing consequences for unauthorized alcohol consumption; Bijie in Guizhou establishing a public supervision channel; and Henan cracking down on unauthorized dining and drinking – even gatherings of three people are considered a violation.
However, this crackdown has provoked backlash, not only within official circles but also within the already struggling catering industry. Among 21 listed white liquor companies in China, 18 have experienced declining stock prices.
Scholar Li Yuanhua, currently in Australia, pointed out, “With the issuance of a ban by the Chinese government, at least for the near future, no one dares openly violate these regulations. Without the purchase of meals and drinks using public funds, it will undoubtedly impact the catering and liquor industry. This also illustrates the inherent corruption within the Chinese Communist Party, continuously squandering taxpayers’ money on lavish dining and drinking.”
He believes that, “The Chinese Communist Party often implements these stringent regulations in a spurt to demonstrate its so-called legitimacy, but it did not anticipate the significant impact it would have on its already weakened consumer market.”
In fact, as early as 2012, the Central Military Commission issued ten regulations, which included the stipulation to “not arrange banquets and not drink alcohol”; in 2016, the Chinese Air Force implemented the strictest “alcohol ban”; before the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and the Ministry of Transport successively issued bans, requiring a complete prohibition on alcohol at official receptions. However, the culture of extravagant dining and drinking persists despite these efforts.