‘US$4,200 earrings too much’: Chinese official berated for luxury accessories at press event, triggering official probe

[beijingwalker]

‘US$4,200 earrings too much’: Chinese official berated for luxury accessories at press event, triggering official probe​

• A government official seen sporting luxury accessories during a Covid-19 media conference is under investigation
• The earrings she wore are identical to two luxury brand products sold at US$4,200 and US$2,600, respectively

Published: 2:00pm, 3 Nov, 2022

Chinese internet users blast official they claim is wearing US4,200 luxury earrings during media conference and trigger official investigation. Photo: SCMP composite

An official in northern China is under fire for allegedly wearing luxury accessories worth thousands of US dollars at a press conference about the coronavirus.

Li Shaoli, a deputy director of Administrative Approval and Public Service Bureau from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, was seen wearing earrings believed to be from luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels and a scarf suspected to be made by Hermes at a recent media conference about a Covid-19 outbreak, the Jiefang Daily reported.

The Disciplinary Inspection Commission of the municipal Communist Party Committee has started an investigation into the matter after a massive public outcry about the alleged luxury accessories.

The earrings Li wore look identical to two types of products named Vintage Alhambra and Sweet Alhambra respectively, which are sold at 30,500 yuan (US$4,200) and 18,600 yuan (US$2,600). Photo: inews.qq.com

Internet users who saw the media conference also spotted that her scarf resembled one made by Hermes, sold for more than 4,000 yuan.

Hohhot, the capital city of Inner Mongolia, has recorded 286 confirmed coronavirus cases with another 2,371 asymptomatic ones since last month. The city of 3.5 million people has been under a snap lockdown for the last three weeks to curb the outbreak.

Qiao Xinsheng, a public affairs expert from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan, said government officials should avoid wearing luxury goods.

“Officials are leaders and example setters of society’s atmosphere. They should advocate a plain and frugal consumption mindset,” Qiao said.

Government officials wearing luxury items can easily touch a nerve with the mainland public which is under a frugality drive amid an economic slowdown over recent years.

The scandal has made headlines in China and resulted in an official investigation being launched. Photo: inews.qq.com

A rural official in central Hunan province was exposed last year wearing a Hermes leather belt at a government meeting. Following a public backlash, local authorities revealed the leather belt was a fake bought for 140 yuan.

China’s Communist Party Central Committee issued Eight Rules in 2012 to crack down on officials’ extravagance, including advocating thriftiness and stipulating the type of cars and houses allocated to senior officials.

Central authorities issued a directive two years ago calling on government officials to set examples for the public in a nationwide campaign against food waste.

‘US$4,200 earrings too much’: China official being probed for luxury accessories

Chinese internet users have blasted an official they claim was wearing US4,200 luxury earrings and a scarf during a media conference last week with local authorities now investigating the incident.

www.scmp.com

 

[StraightEdge]

What exactly is there to investigate? Is there are rule that someone can't wear an expensive earrings? That's total nonsense. In fact it's even not that expensive.

 

[beijingwalker]

What exactly is there to investigate? Is there are rule that someone can't wear an expensive earrings? That's total nonsense. In fact it's even not that expensive.

Power of the social media, government officials and civil servants should be aware that they are being watched by the public.

How a sub ministerial official loses his job

 

[beijingwalker]

One of the first things Xi did after he came to power 10 years ago was to make government officials reveal their family assets

China to start making new officials disclose assets

China is to launch a pilot program to make new officials disclose their assets as part of an anti-graft campaign, the Communist Party's anti-corruption watchdog said on Friday.

www.reuters.com

 

[MH.Yang]

What exactly is there to investigate? Is there are rule that someone can't wear an expensive earrings? That's total nonsense. In fact it's even not that expensive.

The CCP Disciplinary Committee has the right to investigate any CCP member at any time.

This is an investigation, not an arrest. If she has no problems, she should not be afraid and refuse to investigate.

 

[StraightEdge]

Power of the social media, government officials and civil servants should be aware that they are being watched by the public.

How a sub ministerial official loses his job
View attachment 892682

I can't read Chinese, so don't know what it says. If an official wears something with his/her money, absolutely nothing wrong in it. Moreover it's not weird like a jacket made of gold or something. If this was bought with the money she earned, she can very well wear it like it. If everyone gets their panties wet for such silly matters, they should throw away their expensive cars or their own jewellery.
The major question is here though what exactly is there to "investigate" ? Which rule did that person break that needs investigation? 4,000 USD is barely expensive for a jewellery item.

 

[lastofthepatriots]

She might have bought them from china town for 30 bucks... You guys are getting way too worked up about this.

 

[S10]

She might have bought them from china town for 30 bucks... You guys are getting way too worked up about this.

I've been around enough kids of corrupt officials in Canada to know these people don't wear fake crap.

 

[Beast]

I can't read Chinese, so don't know what it says. If an official wears something with his/her money, absolutely nothing wrong in it. Moreover it's not weird like a jacket made of gold or something. If this was bought with the money she earned, she can very well wear it like it. If everyone gets their panties wet for such silly matters, they should throw away their expensive cars or their own jewellery.
The major question is here though what exactly is there to "investigate" ? Which rule did that person break that needs investigation? 4,000 USD is barely expensive for a jewellery item.

If a 40 years old officer earns only USD 3000 a month with bonus of 2 months per year. Do you think he can afford a million dollar sport car if he claim he bought with his own money?

How he manage to accumulate such large some of money?

 

[jhungary]

I've been around enough kids of corrupt officials in Canada to know these people don't wear fake crap.

I don't know about corrupt official, but rich people wear fake crap, they have the real one stash in a safe or security box and wear the fake to function because if they lose those jewellery, they cannot replace them, not even insurance will cover (It will cover the value but not the piece). They only take it out on special occasion.

My wife has over a million USD worth of jewellery who she never wore day to day, only in special occasion, she wore cheap Swarovski stuff (still over few hundred bucks) for work. I pay for probably half of those

 

[kankan326]

What exactly is there to investigate? Is there are rule that someone can't wear an expensive earrings? That's total nonsense. In fact it's even not that expensive.

Person living in a fake democratic country makes fuss of normal thing that should happen in real democratic country.

 

[jhungary]

Person living in a fake democratic country makes fuss of normal thing that should happen in real democratic country.

Out of curiosity, was "Sugar Daddy" illegal in China??

 

[lastofthepatriots]

I've been around enough kids of corrupt officials in Canada to know these people don't wear fake crap.

I make pretty good money but any time I can get my hands on some fake stuff from China town, I'm all for it. Nobody gives a **** or comes up to you to check. Plus Chinese make really good copies.

When I was last in Pakistan, I got a Chinese LV bag for 60 bucks for my wife. All her friends thought it was real because it was made so well. It even came with the LV card inside and additional straps...

The actual bag costs like over 1k dollars. .

 

[Novus ordu seclorum]

Looks like there is a pecking order. They can embarass administrative officials over personal wear, but can they do the same with Xi and his closest political aides.

 

[kankan326]

Out of curiosity, was "Sugar Daddy" illegal in China??

No. But as a government official, you have to routinely submit all your family income data to investigation department. "Family" here refers to spouse, sons/daughters, parents, brothers/sisters, spouse family, sons/daughters families.