Chinese official dies after drinking too much first day on the job
County chief found dead after consuming rice wine with colleagues at lunch
A deputy county chief in Guangxi died of alcohol poisoning after dining with colleagues on the first day on the job, mainland media have reported.
Authorities investigating the incident concluded on Monday that Zhong Xiefei, who had just been named deputy chief of Qianjiang township in the city of Laibin, died from excessive drinking. Seven other officials who drank with him have been fired.
According to the website of the official China News Service, Zhong showed up for work on the morning of April 9. At lunch, he began drinking rice wine with other provincial and county-level officials.
Zhong’s family that night found him asleep and snoring loudly, but saw nothing to suggest he had drunk a dangerous amount. He was found dead about 6am the next day.
On Monday, district officials met to discuss the incident and how to discipline other officials involved.
Since President Xi Jinping took power, the leadership has been trying to rein in cadres’ excessive behaviour and curtail wasteful spending. Sales of expensive liquor such as the popular mao-tai have dropped.