Loss of appetite hits Jockey Club in Beijing

A ban on officials using private clubs - imposed by President Xi Jinping last month as part of his anti-corruption push - has hit the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Its clubhouse in Beijing has seen dwindling business, especially during the recent political gatherings.

A Hong Kong delegate to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference said the restaurant at the Jockey Club's Jing Bao Jie premise had been much quieter during what is usually its peak season.

"I used to book a banquet room every night to host various friends," the delegate said. "Now there is no need. There was hardly anyone dining at the club." Said another delegate: "Mainland officials just avoid going to the clubhouse. There are cameras everywhere - if they are caught they will be in big trouble."

Democratic Party lawmaker Albert Ho Chun-yan may have disappointed his female fans when he was caught perusing pictures of bikini-clad women during the budget speech, but his party members have raised another concern: has Ho hit his stress threshold?