Flowers are banned: China clamps down on luxury among officials
12 June 2025 16:46
The Chinese authorities are stepping up measures against ostentatious luxury and wastefulness among civil servants. The campaign, initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping, was intensified after an official from Xinyang City died of alcohol poisoning at a seminar on frugality in March.
This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The new rules prohibit serving alcohol, delicacies, cigarettes, and decorating official meetings with flowers. The ban also includes the use of public transportation for personal use and travel abroad for gambling purposes.
This is part of a broader anti-corruption campaign that Xi has been waging since the beginning of his rule. In 2024, the Communist Party of China prosecuted nearly 313,000 officials for violating frugality standards, twice as many as in 2023 and ten times as many as in 2013.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection commented harshly on the March incident in Xinyang:
“The party center has been beating drums, swinging hammers, and issuing orders over and over again, but some officials still show neither fear nor respect…”
The tightening of controls over officials’ lifestyles also signals the country’s difficult economic situation: slowing growth, a real estate crisis, and high unemployment are forcing the government to act more rigorously, both in terms of public spending and public image.
