Cleansing luxury havens

BAD NEWS FOR SPENDTHRIFT OFFICIALS: Some of their newfound safe havens for extravagant entertainment will soon be unsafe.

Starting Saturday, private clubs in such public venues as parks and historical buildings will be the new forbidden zones for them. Yes, visits to such venues against Beijing's stern warning have cost Wan Qingliang, former Party chief of Guangzhou, his political career.

Despite the crackdown on corruption, greedy public servants have found new ways to squander public resources at their disposal. Even after Wan's fall, which the Party discipline watchdog might have expected to deter his like-minded peers from indulging in luxury, private clubs keep receiving guests from public offices, only that the costly dining and wining have now switched to stealth mode. High-end restaurants and entertainment venues hidden in parks and facilities of historical importance are the new frontier for these special consumers.