A heavy heart in the Year of the Tiger

It was fun to wine and dine with friends and relatives over the Chinese New Year holidays, but small talks often ended in heavy hearts.

Some described in length about how some of their business friends had prepared big-ticket gifts for government officials. Others told of how some rich Chinese lavished in shopping sprees in Paris and snatched up upscale apartments in Shanghai and overseas. Still others revealed how each and every project could potentially bring down several officials.

These stories are nothing new. However, the perpetual nature of these topics today means that social woes have not been wiped out or wound down.