Profiles
Ganbei culture 'Kills' Anhui village leader
By Wang Hongyi (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-09 08:19
An official has died after apparently drinking too much alcohol with business guests in Anhui province, possibly the latest victim of the country's ganbei culture.
Shen Hao, 46, was the Party secretary of Fengyang county's Xiaogang village, famous for being the birthplace of the country's rural reform.
At least two other officials died this year after drinking too much at official banquets, where a lot of business is carried out.
Shen was found dead by villagers in bed on Friday morning. Villagers said he had drunk too much alcohol the previous day, Beijing News reported yesterday.
A preliminary investigation by county authorities said there were no abnormal findings at the scene, and it was sudden death. Local police are investigating the specific cause of Shen's death.
Wu Youjiang, vice-director of the village committee, said Shen had been dealing with three land transfer cases the previous day, and received three batches of investors.
Another official, Zhao Jialong, said Shen had a health check in April and his heart was not good, according to Nanfang Daily.
"Shen has been busy with his job for a long time and didn't attach too much importance to his health," Zhao was quoted as saying.
Ma Jiaxian, Shen's landlady, said he was usually in good health, but on the afternoon of Nov 5 when another village official helped him walk home. "He looked very tired and wanted to sleep," Ma was quoted as saying.
Shen's sudden death has upset villagers. Reports said he had a very good reputation and helped villagers by building highways and constructing residential buildings.
Unfortunately, Shen is not the first official to die after drinking excessive amounts of alcohol at banquets.
In July, 47-year-old Jin Guoqing, deputy director of water resources in Xinzhou district, Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei, died following dinner with official guests. Medical staff said Jin's excessive drinking had triggered a fatal heart attack.
Guo Shizhong, a family planning official from Xinyang, Central China's Henan province, died of a brain hemorrhage last year after over-drinking with fellow officials.
Guo was later recognized as an "excellent Party member" and posthumously handed a merit award for dying with "honor".
A civil servant in Tianjin, who requested anonymity, said drinking with official guests at alcohol-soaked events was considered part of his job.
"Of course, you can choose not to drink. But it will be difficult when dealing with other officials. Drinking at the dinner table is an unspoken rule for doing business," he said. "We just have no choice."
"Chinese people like to make decisions at dinner tables. That's a Chinese way of communication and expressing emotions for either businessmen or officials," said a chemical materials businessman surnamed Peng, who quit the civil service years ago.
"There is a large amount of money spent on banquets each year. The government needs strict regulation against such behavior among officials."
