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

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.