Dongguan's economy not hurt by sex-trade crackdown

The prostitution crackdown in Dongguan, Guangdong province, that began early this year has not affected the city's economy, a senior local government official said.

The news refutes reports during the crackdown that the sex trade was a major driver of the city's economy.

In an interview aired by China Central Television on Tuesday, Dongguan Mayor Yuan Baocheng said some key economic indexes, including industrial electricity consumption and exports, showed increasing momentum in the first three months of this year.