Keep off ‘sex clubs’, China tells officials

BEIJING: Striving to improve its image, China's Communist Party has now ordered officials to keep away from private clubs. Many such clubs have earned the dubious reputation of being venues for high-stake gambling, nefarious deals and sexual services.

"Some CPC [Communist Party of China] officials frequented private clubs, enjoying themselves with feasting and other entertainment, some even engaging in power-for-money or power-for-sex deals," the party's discipline agency, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), said in a circular on Monday.

The move followed another official order asking party cadre and government officials to shun expensive funerals, which are usually conducted in a spirit of one-upmanship among the powerful elite. It had earlier banned lavish banquets and the distribution of expensive gifts by officials.

The CCDI said the practice of using private clubs has a "serious negative effect on Party and political work styles and social ethos". Party officials have been asked to promise they will not enter or accept membership of such clubs. They have also been warned about severe penalties in case the order is violated.

The party's circular said public anger has been rising against private clubs, which are often illicitly built with public resources and frequented by the rich and powerful. They are sometimes in historical buildings or parks. "Such clubs are illegally established and operated, disregard the public interest and are hotbeds of extravagance and corruption," state media quoted the circular as saying.

The party has ordered officials to shun high-end clubs and promised severe penalties for party-goers in its campaign against unacceptable practices. Its anti-corruption sleuths have extended their investigations into the activities of judges, former ministers and "fake" journalists in recent months. State media described "fake" journalists as those working without proper accreditation and resorting to blackmail.

The CCDI is also spearheading the party's "mass line" campaign, which was recently launched by President Xi Jinping. It is cracking down on officials flaunting expensive lifestyles by banning flower arrangements in meeting rooms, expensive liquor, delicacies such as shark fin soup, and luxurious gifts during festivals.