Bribes in Lunchboxes: TV Series on China's Corrupt Officials Hooks Millions

The Chinese flag is raised in front of the China Pavilion during a flag raising ceremony at the Shanghai World Expo site in Shanghai April 30, 2010. (Reuters)
The Chinese flag is raised in front of the China Pavilion during a flag raising ceremony at the Shanghai World Expo site in Shanghai April 30, 2010. (Reuters)
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Bribes in Lunchboxes: TV Series on China's Corrupt Officials Hooks Millions

The Chinese flag is raised in front of the China Pavilion during a flag raising ceremony at the Shanghai World Expo site in Shanghai April 30, 2010. (Reuters)
The Chinese flag is raised in front of the China Pavilion during a flag raising ceremony at the Shanghai World Expo site in Shanghai April 30, 2010. (Reuters)

A huge designer property in Beijing and millions of dollars hidden in seafood boxes -- a state television series on China's anti-graft campaign is captivating viewers and lifting the lid on officials brought down on graft charges.

A staggering number of Communist cadres have been caught up in President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption drive in recent years, which critics say has also served as a way to remove political enemies since he came to power in 2013, AFP said.

The ongoing five-part series aired by state broadcaster CCTV shows televised confessions by officials accused of corruption, including former vice public security minister Sun Lijun.

Sun -- who oversaw security in Hong Kong during months of unrest -- is facing allegations that include taking bribes, manipulating the stock market, illegally possessing firearms and paying for sex.

The TV series claimed Sun received regular bribes worth $14 million disguised as "small seafood boxes" from a man he later appointed as police chief in eastern Jiangsu province.

"I helped him all this way," said Sun on the program.

It is common practice for CCTV to air "confessions" by criminal suspects, including former officials, before they have even appeared in court -- something widely condemned by rights groups.

Another episode featured imprisoned Chen Gang of the China Association for Science and Technology -- who was said to have built a 72,000-square-metre (775,000-square-foot) private compound complete with a Chinese-style residence, swimming pool and artificial beach with illicit funds.

Others featured were accused of taking millions in bribes.

Those convicted of corruption can be stripped of their wealth, party membership, and face a lifetime behind bars or even death.

More than a million officials have been punished under the anti-corruption campaign so far, which has been a cornerstone of Xi's tenure.

Wang Fuyu, who featured in the second episode of the series, was given a death sentence with a two-year reprieve on Monday -- a day after his confession was aired.

Hundreds of millions took to social media in China to dissect the series, most angered by the luxuries the officials had enjoyed.

One user complained that the men didn't seem to be remorseful and had, on the contrary, "lived a wonderful life" and were "unable to hide their pride."

Some feared the display of excessive wealth was more likely to be appealing.

"Is this a damned civil servant recruitment advertisement?" one sceptic wrote.



China Heatwaves Boost Ice Factory Sales

A worker uses tongs to move ice blocks inside a refrigerated store at the Feichao Ice Factory in Hangzhou. Heatwaves across China have caused demand for ice to soar  - AFP
A worker uses tongs to move ice blocks inside a refrigerated store at the Feichao Ice Factory in Hangzhou. Heatwaves across China have caused demand for ice to soar - AFP
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China Heatwaves Boost Ice Factory Sales

A worker uses tongs to move ice blocks inside a refrigerated store at the Feichao Ice Factory in Hangzhou. Heatwaves across China have caused demand for ice to soar  - AFP
A worker uses tongs to move ice blocks inside a refrigerated store at the Feichao Ice Factory in Hangzhou. Heatwaves across China have caused demand for ice to soar - AFP

In a high-ceilinged room on the outskirts of eastern China's Hangzhou, workers use tongs to slide large blocks of frosty white ice along a metal track into a refrigerated truck.

Sales have picked up in recent weeks, boosted by heatwaves sweeping the whole country as summer sets in, the owner of Feichao ice factory, Sun Chao, told AFP.

Globally, heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense because of climate change, experts say, and China is no exception -- 2024 was the country's hottest on record, and this year is also set to be a scorcher.

Last week, authorities warned of heat-related health risks across large swathes of eastern China, including Zhejiang province where Hangzhou is located.

"In the spring, autumn, and winter, a higher temperature of two to three degrees doesn't have a big impact on our sales," Sun said.

"But in the summer, when temperatures are slightly higher, it has a big impact."

Feichao is a relatively small facility that sells ice to markets, produce transporters, and event organizers.

As the mercury soared past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in multiple cities across China recently, ice from businesses like Sun's was used to cool down huge outdoor venues.

In neighbouring Jiangsu province, organisers of a football match attended by over 60,000 people placed more than 10,000 large blocks of ice around the stadium, according to the state-owned Global Times.

As AFP watched lorries being loaded with Feichao's ice on Wednesday, an employee from a nearby seafood shop came on foot to purchase two ice blocks -- each selling for around $3.50 -- hauling them off in a large plastic bag.

"In May and June, I can sell around 100 tonnes a day. In July, that number grows, and I can sell around 300 to 400 tonnes," Sun told AFP.

China has endured a string of extreme summers in recent years.

In June, authorities issued heat warnings in Beijing as temperatures in the capital rose to nearly 40 degrees Celsius, while state media said 102 weather stations across the country logged their hottest-ever June day.

The same month, six people were killed and more than 80,000 evacuated due to floods in southern Guizhou province.

China is the world's biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases that scientists generally agree are driving climate change and making extreme weather more intense and frequent.

It is also a global leader in renewable energy, adding capacity at a faster rate than any other country.