Sober Realist

Buy China Policy - Is Protectionism on the Rise?

So much for China "saving the world." When Chinese leaders say to "buy Chinese," their state-led directives have the teeth of capital punishment behind them. Everthing down to cigarette butts will be scrutinized:
Chinese Ordered to Smoke More to Boost Economy

"Local officials burst unannounced into a middle school in Hubei province one afternoon and started sifting through the staff-room’s ashtray to enforce a ban on rival cigarette brands. The "cigarette marketing team" discovered three "non-compliant" cigarette butts and subjected the school to "public criticism" for "undisciplined practices," London’s Telegraph reports. Officials and teachers in Hubei province will be fined if they "fail to meet their targets" or are caught smoking brands from neighboring provinces. One village was ordered to purchase 400 cartons of cigarettes a year for local officials. "The regulation will boost the local economy via the cigarette tax," said Chen Nianzu, a member of the Gong'an cigarette market supervision team. In total, Gong'an officials and teachers have been ordered to puff 230,000 packs of Hubei-branded cigarettes."
www.telegraph.co.uk/ne...