Mr. Shangkong | Corruption the watchword as annual national summits near

Every year in March, the country's most important officials and businessmen will converge in Beijing for the two annual top-level political summits known as "Liang Hui".

This year, many will wonder if it will be cleanest gathering because of President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption crackdown.

It's no secret that March, when the annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference are held, is also the best time for high-end restaurants and shops in Beijing in terms of banquet and luxury product sales. It has been at least for the past decade.

During this period, local government officials, including the many delegates to the national legislature and advisory body, take the opportunity to visit their connections in the capital, typically those senior officials in various government ministries and policymaking agencies.

Of course, when they visit, they can't just go empty-handed. That is why luxury stores, especially watch shops, often see strong sales in the month.

I covered "Liang Hui" sessions for the five years to 2008, staying at the landmark Beijing Hotel. There were several gift shops at the hotel and my colleagues and I often noticed that many expensive watches were out of stock as soon as the summits began.

And it was definitely not just Beijing Hotel that had good banquet business. Other high-end hotels and restaurants did brisk business, too.