A XINHUA investigation has exposed the deep-rooted nature of corruption among China's officialdom, outing double-dealing officials who chant frugality slogans but secretly hold extravagant banquets.

At the Tianzhong Hotel in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan Province, late last Saturday, a Xinhua reporter was body-searched and illegally detained during an announced visit to take photos of a local police department's new year's party.

Although the reporter produced his press card, all pictures from his cellphone camera were deleted by people at the banquet.

On hearing the news, the Zhengzhou Public Security Bureau organized a special investigation team, and on Tuesday imposed administrative penalties on the policemen involved, ordered them to pay for the meal at their own expense, and apologized to the detained Xinhua employee.

After the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee issued regulations requiring government officials to trade extravagance for frugality in late December, more than 20 provinces have issued detailed regulations to build cleaner governments.

Behind the bandwagon, however, is a cohort of pussyfooters who rack their brains to retain their corrupt working practices and lifestyles while maintaining a good public reputation.

An employee with the South Asia Wyndham Hotel in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that all its large banquet halls had been booked by big companies and a few government departments for the Spring Festival period.

Elsewhere, the extravagance of official banquets has been disguised. "The harsh orders have actually seen the banquets split into smaller get-togethers and made them harder to be tracked, but with no fewer expenses," an official in Anhui Province told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Although colored flags, welcoming banners and flower baskets have been removed from official banquets, the "last dish," a gift-giving session that normally serves a carton of high-end cigarettes to guests, has remained, the official said.

Receptions and feasting now involve smaller numbers and have been transferred to hidden locations, the source said. The saying "to eat quietly, to take gently and to play secretly" has entered the vocabulary of local officialdom.

In one cunning countermeasure against the "frugality order," luxury banquets have been moved out of starred hotels and into the canteens of government departments, according to an executive of a state-owned enterprise. "It used to be an unspoken rule to invite officials to starred hotels, while now starred-hotel cooks are invited to canteens," said the executive.

Double dealing

In response to such double dealing, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the CPC, on Tuesday reiterated the significance of improving work style among Party members during a CPC disciplinary watchdog meeting. "Those undesirable practices, if unaddressed, will evolve to be an invisible wall that separates the Party from the people, thus leaving the Party without root, lifeblood and power," Xi said.

This is not the first time the top leadership has issued an order calling for official frugality. Such warnings are routinely issued ahead of the Spring Festival, when the country typically indulges in extravagant dining in a festive atmosphere.

But this year, Xi has signaled the Party's resolution to uproot corruption and official extravagance. Xi Jinping said the Party's crackdown should be applied to both "tigers" and "flies" - powerful leaders and low-level bureaucrats - by dealing with illegal activity by officials as well as tackling malpractice and corruption cases that impacts citizens.

As the Party's warnings resonate, a number of restaurants have seen their government client base shrink.

Relieved

As restaurants complain over the loss of government business, some officials' are relieved and glad the frugality order is being implemented. This is especially true in China's "poverty alleviation counties," which receive assistance for development and poverty-fighting - but in return, they must wine and dine many senior visitors.

"We used to worry that we would appear shabby if leaders could not eat and drink well after their long, bumpy journey here," said an official in charge of receptions for a poor county in Anhui Province. "But now, every leader is treated the same, with four dishes, one soup and no alcohol, a standard provincial regulation," the official said.

Despite these few encouraging signs, much of the progress in the campaign has been undermined by various dirty tricks. Meanwhile, some officials are simply biding their time for the end of the crackdown and the return of free eating and drinking. Experts have expressed concerns that there will be a rebound in extravagant behavior if and when the frugality campaign dies down.

"Receptions and gifts have become deeply rooted as a 'lubricant' for business. How can it be changed so easily?" asked one official.

Some officials have declined recent invitations, saying they would attend next year when banqueting behavior is no longer in the spotlight.

To stem the flow of public funds to finance lavish official's entertainment, both short-term and long-term regulatory systems are needed.

Short-term regulation would reinforce supervision and punishment involving financial operations and expenditures, while long-term regulation would involve better transparency of financial information, said Li Weiguang, a professor at the Tianjin University of Finance and Economics.

It should be easier to find out whether public funds are being used for wining and dining, said Li. He recommended three measures: improving the transparency of government budgets, explaining budgets in a more straightforward way, and reinforcing outside supervision.

Many budget items are expressed in vague language and cannot be understood by the public, said Jiang Hong, director of the Public Policy Research Center of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Budget items should be clear, he said.

The authors are Xinhua writers.