Chinese officers caught feasting on an endangered salamander
Date January 28, 2015 - 8:04AM
William Wan and Gu Jinglu
In China, eating salamander meat is thought to improve one's skin. Photo: Wikipedia
Beijing: China is in the throes of the harshest crackdown on corruption in decades, but officials in Shenzhen apparently didn't get the memo.
While officials across China have been fleeing the country and hiding their money and other traces of their formerly luxurious lifestyles, reporters caught several Shenzhen police officers at a lavish meal, feasting on a giant salamander.
The salamander - a protected endangered species that can grow up to two metres long, the size of an adult human - is coveted by some in China for its supposed abilities to improve skin and fortify the heart.
Caught on camera by three undercover reporters with salamander in hand, the Shenzhen cops responded by beating up the journalists, according to their newspaper, Southern Metropolis Daily, based in Guangzhou.
Fourteen police officers have been suspended for the assault pending an investigation, according to Shenzhen police on its department's official social media account on Monday night. The banquet took place last Wednesday, but Chinese newspapers did not get wind of it until the reporters posted about their assault this week.
One of the reporters was kicked and slapped; another was scratched bloody. The one taking pictures was choked and had his camera broken and taken away by force, the newspaper said.
The incident illustrates how high the stakes are these days in the realm of anti-corruption. Since President Xi Jinping took power and launched the current anti-corruption campaign two years ago, he has sent his secretive and powerful watchdog agency after some of the most powerful officials in China. While many of the investigations at higher levels are whispered to be politically motivated, no one at the lower levels appear to be safe.
Luxury alcohol, food and gifts have been an especially hot target. One of Mr Xi's first edicts after taking power was that all government banquets should be curtailed to just four dishes and a soup.
Almost overnight, banquets financed by public funds disappeared from the public view. European brand watches officials used to frequently flash were replaced by domestic made brands. Officials went from first class airliners to riding a bike to work and meetings.
All of which made last week night's salamander banquet particularly egregious.
The banquet was attended by 28 officials from Shenzhen police, including the bureau chief of its Dongshen branch, according to the Southern Daily report. The total cost of the meal: $US865, not including drinks and the controversial salamander.
Making things worse, each attendee as a parting gift received a bag of fish, caught from a nearby reservoir where conservation laws have banned all fishing, the report said.
The giant salamander is a nationally protected animal in China. To cultivate and operate the species one supposedly must obtain strict licenses and follow regulations on wild life protection.
Washington Post
