Hundreds held in Beijing nightclubs prostitution crackdown

Hundreds of people were detained by the police in Beijing at three exclusive nightclubs for alleged involvement in prostitution in high-profile raids before Christmas, triggering speculation about the true motives behind crackdown.

While prostitution is illegal in China, it operates widely in venues such as massage parlours and nightclubs. A World Health Organisation estimate suggests there may be about six million prostitutes working on the mainland.

The timing and publicity surrounding prostitution crackdowns by the police have been significant in the past.

A previous high-profile crackdown took place in Beijing in 2010 when the city’s newly-appointed police chief, Fu Zhenghua, raided and closed an exclusive club.

The publicity from the raid earned Fu a public image as a righteous law enforcer and helped his later promotions.

The current Beijing police chief, Wang Xiaohong, led the closure of a luxurious nightclub in Zhengzhou when he was the Henan provincial police chief in November 2013.

Wang, who worked for president Xi Jinping when he was Fuzhou party secretary in the 1990s, is also a vice-minister at China’s Ministry of Public Security.

Beijing police said in a statement on Sunday that they had received tip-offs of prostitution and investigated three venues, the Baoli Club, Landai Club and the Lihai Mingyuan Club on Friday night. Hundreds of suspects were detained and case is still under investigation.

All three venues offer the most “luxurious, decadent” entertainment, according to The Beijing News. Lihai was once billed the night club where customers give the highest tips and has presented shows with women dancing in their swimming suits.

Landai has a 2,000 square metre stage for performance while the Baoli Club, allegedly frequented by senior executives of big companies, boasts it is “the most upmarket” club since the Heaven on Earth Club was closed by Fu in the 2010 crackdown.

The Baoli club recruited women to “have normal and healthy communications with clients, including singing, chatting and playing games” and they needed to “put on make-up carefully, bring high heels and short skirts in summer” to work, The Beijing News reported, citing a recruitment advert posted by the venue.

Clients’ average bill for a hostess’s services was about 3,500 yuan (HK$3,900), the report said.

The issue of prostitution has been prominent in the news in Beijing in recent months.

Lei Yang, a young father, died in police custody in May after he was arrested for allegedly soliciting a prostitute.

Prosecutors dropped charges last week against five police officers, but ruled they had used excessive force to arrest Lei.

The case triggered a public outcry over the abuse of police powers.

Allegations of prostitution are also frequently used by the authorities to tarnish a person’s reputation. Charles Xue was a vocal critic of the Chinese government on social media until he was detained over prostitution allegations in 2013.

Xue later made an apology broadcast on state TV.

The authorities have not released the names of those detained in the latest crackdown.