Cigarettes prove welcome gift
By Xu Chi |
July 18, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
EXPENSIVE cigarettes have become popular gifts with Chinese government officials even as checks on government spending have been strengthened, the China Economic Weekly magazine has reported.
A carton of high-end Chinese cigarettes - 10 packs of 20 cigarettes - costs around 2,000 to 2,500 yuan (US$313-345). The most expensive may cost 5,000 yuan per carton, the magazine said.
That compares to "normal" cigarettes at around 200 yuan per carton.
Such high-end or luxury cigarettes are usually sold at designated cigarette stores which buy them directly from the producers.
A manager surnamed Gu at a Beijing store told the magazine that many of his customers were company officials and the high-end cigarettes were usually given to government officials as gifts.
"Officials dare not receive money or gold as gifts. But they are glad to receive cigarettes," Gu was quoted.
Traditionally in China, according to the magazine, people would give expensive cigarettes as gifts to some senior officials when they are asking for a favor.
Gu said he found it interesting that the expensive cigarettes he sold to his customers would often be sold back to him at a reduced price.
"It happens that I sell one carton one week and the same carton would be sold back to me the following week," Gu said.
Gu said this was because the customer had given the cigarettes to officials as a gift and many traded them for cash.
"Sky-high priced cigarettes are just like collections. Their true value is not important, but they are decent and can be quickly traded for cash," Gu told the magazine.
"In plain words, they are like checks."
The prices for such cigarettes have remained high while the cost of Moutai, a liquor served at official occasions and state banquets, has fallen dramatically due to stricter laws on public spending.
According to the Oriental Morning Post, prices for some brands of Moutai have dropped by almost 50 percent over the past six months.
One half-liter bottle of 53 degree proof Moutai now costs 1,300 yuan, compared with 2,300 yuan six months ago.
Experts told the newspaper that the lower prices could be due to tighter restrictions on government spending this year.
In recent years, government officials have frequently been pictured holding luxury cigarettes during meetings and the photographs have sparked controversy and questions about possible corruption when they were uploaded online.
A carton of high-end Chinese cigarettes - 10 packs of 20 cigarettes - costs around 2,000 to 2,500 yuan (US$313-345). The most expensive may cost 5,000 yuan per carton, the magazine said.
That compares to "normal" cigarettes at around 200 yuan per carton.
Such high-end or luxury cigarettes are usually sold at designated cigarette stores which buy them directly from the producers.
A manager surnamed Gu at a Beijing store told the magazine that many of his customers were company officials and the high-end cigarettes were usually given to government officials as gifts.
"Officials dare not receive money or gold as gifts. But they are glad to receive cigarettes," Gu was quoted.
Traditionally in China, according to the magazine, people would give expensive cigarettes as gifts to some senior officials when they are asking for a favor.
Gu said he found it interesting that the expensive cigarettes he sold to his customers would often be sold back to him at a reduced price.
"It happens that I sell one carton one week and the same carton would be sold back to me the following week," Gu said.
Gu said this was because the customer had given the cigarettes to officials as a gift and many traded them for cash.
"Sky-high priced cigarettes are just like collections. Their true value is not important, but they are decent and can be quickly traded for cash," Gu told the magazine.
"In plain words, they are like checks."
The prices for such cigarettes have remained high while the cost of Moutai, a liquor served at official occasions and state banquets, has fallen dramatically due to stricter laws on public spending.
According to the Oriental Morning Post, prices for some brands of Moutai have dropped by almost 50 percent over the past six months.
One half-liter bottle of 53 degree proof Moutai now costs 1,300 yuan, compared with 2,300 yuan six months ago.
Experts told the newspaper that the lower prices could be due to tighter restrictions on government spending this year.
In recent years, government officials have frequently been pictured holding luxury cigarettes during meetings and the photographs have sparked controversy and questions about possible corruption when they were uploaded online.
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