Vice clampdown stifles Shanghai nightlife

SOME of the sparkle has gone out of Shanghai's resurgent nightlife.

The economic slowdown in Shanghai combined with a crackdown on prostitution, drug abuse and gambling has taken a severe toll on the city's service industries, according to business managers and local government officials.

Restaurants, nightclubs, karaoke bars and even taxi companies have all complained of a significant drop in business since police started to enforce the clean-up measures.

''People just don't go out at night anymore,'' said one restaurant owner in the bustling city.

''A lot of our business used to come from Hong Kong, Taiwanese and local businessmen entertaining their clients but with the crackdown on vice very little entertaining is going on right now,'' he said.

An essential element of business entertaining in Shanghai has been in providing clients with hostesses to talk, drink and dance with and since the hostesses have been a major focus of the crackdown there has been a dramatic fall off in business entertainment. As one bar owner put it: ''If the bosses can't find the girls to go out with, they won't go out at all.'' Foreign residents have been targeted and at least one has been expelled for allegedly liaising with prostitutes.