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For Beijing, what you described above is highly unlikely to be true. Not saying such corruptions do not exist in Beijing, corruptions exist everywhere in places

For Beijing, what you described above is highly unlikely to be true. Not saying such corruptions do not exist in Beijing, corruptions exist everywhere in places like Beijing, just pointing out that you won't be able to notice them like the way how you described. You are basically suggesting that the restaurant intentionally let a first time visitor (you) who they didn't know & trust to know the special relationship they have with the "chief of police". Why would they do that? A revenge to get rid of the guy? It is also pretty strange to have "chief of police" accepting such high risk and low value "free meal" as gift. As a corrupted official, will you feel comfortable walking into a restaurant fitted with security cameras to enjoy your "free meal"? Sounds like a failed IQ test to me.

anonymousiam 6y ago
This happened in 2001 when there was less surveillance. Although the hotel we were staying at (foreigners only) had cameras everywhere, including one on the ceiling just outside our door. The restaurant staff did not betray any information to me. That is why they were horrified. It put them in a diffiuclt position. I assume that they would not accept my money because of the risk that it might flow back to the chief that I had paid.
- SZJX 6y ago
  Yep 2001 is pretty much night and day compared to how things work now. Not sure when was the last time you were in China but the impression you get would surely be very different. Also I didn't totally understand your point, since the host paying for the meal is the only right thing to do in the Chinese culture. Of course, when it was in 2001, the police chief probably covered the meal using public money, if by corruption this is what you mean. (By no means would the restaurant be asked to just give out food for free.) As someone also pointed out, this has become much harder after Xi's crackdown on such spending.
  - anonymousiam 6y ago
    My impression was that the Chief did not cover the meal at all, except through his influence. The restaurant was "gifting" the meal to him in exchange for something. Perhaps it was "protection", or perhaps it was a "get out of jail free" card related to other corruption.

anonymousiam 6y ago

This happened in 2001 when there was less surveillance. Although the hotel we were staying at (foreigners only) had cameras everywhere, including one on the ceiling just outside our door. The restaurant staff did not betray any information to me. That is why they were horrified. It put them in a diffiuclt position. I assume that they would not accept my money because of the risk that it might flow back to the chief that I had paid.

SZJX 6y ago
Yep 2001 is pretty much night and day compared to how things work now. Not sure when was the last time you were in China but the impression you get would surely be very different. Also I didn't totally understand your point, since the host paying for the meal is the only right thing to do in the Chinese culture. Of course, when it was in 2001, the police chief probably covered the meal using public money, if by corruption this is what you mean. (By no means would the restaurant be asked to just give out food for free.) As someone also pointed out, this has become much harder after Xi's crackdown on such spending.
- anonymousiam 6y ago
  My impression was that the Chief did not cover the meal at all, except through his influence. The restaurant was "gifting" the meal to him in exchange for something. Perhaps it was "protection", or perhaps it was a "get out of jail free" card related to other corruption.