NEWS
CHINESE MEDIA: AFTER WORK ALCOHOL BAN FOR GOV’T OFFICIALS IS “EXCESSIVE”
By Tony Zhu
13-10-2020
Credit: Kunal Kalar/Unsplash
Some Chinese local authorities have recently banned after-work alcohol consumption by government officials and state-owned enterprises employees, inviting criticisms that the policy is “excessive” and “over the top”.
A commentary in the official Xinhua News Agency said though it is essential to forbid alcohol consumption during work hours, the decision to extend the ban after-work is “excessive”.
Another commentary in The Beijing News expressed the same idea, it said while it is understandable that local authorities wish to enhance disciplines of their officials, but some local authorities have gone “over the top” and are intruding officials’ private lives.
Banning government officials from drinking is not new in China, the military commission has repeatedly issued alcohol bans to the military, and a national ban on consuming expensive alcohol in state-sponsored events has been in effect since 2013 as part of President Xi Jinping’s anti-graft campaign.
But some local authorities in Gansu, Qinghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hunan and Guangdong provinces have introduced their own additional prohibitions in recent years.
Among them, the most controversial was the ban introduced by Qingcheng County in the northwestern Gansu province on 1 July which requires government officials and employees of state-owned enterprises to abstain from alcohol 24 hours on all work days. Those who failed to comply will face immediate suspension pending investigations.
Qingcheng County authority said there had been 38 drink drive accidents involving government officials since December 2019, but such cases reduced to zero since the drinking ban has been introduced.
Responding to criticisms from the general public, the local authority told Chinese media that the ban is a trial policy and will be under review taking public opinions in consideration.
Alcohol bans introduced by other local authorities varied in level of intrusiveness and strictness.
For example, Nanjing municipal government in eastern Jiangsu province requires all police officers to refrain from drinking 24 hours on their work days.
Mengyuan County in northwestern Qinghai Province bans drinking during work hours while promote prohibition after work.
In Nanyang city in central Henan Province, government officials will face random alcohol tests at least once a month to ensure they follow the no drinking advice.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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