People’s Republic of China Cracks Down on Government Extravagance

Following public outcry over extravagant government buildings, the People’s Republic of China has ordered a halt to new construction and officially moved forward with plans to curtail government excess in the future. Among the most egregious examples: Chengxing County Government Building ($97.7 million), Chengdu City Government Building ($195.5 million), Harbin City Government Building ($293 million),Shunde District Government Compound ($325 million), and the Jinan City Government Building ($640 million).

Business Insider reports that after Xi Jinping’s announcement of a government crackdown on excessive spending that many of the high-end restaurants and hotels experienced an immediate downturn in business. Reports from China’s official Xinhua news station recently exposed a government scandal in which wealthy businessmen bribed officials with invitations to sex parties with young girls that featured such activities as drinking breast milk from nursing mothers.

These reports come amid worsening economic prospects globally and the first downturn in China’s manufacturing sector in eleven years.

[Business Insider]