Holiday gifts breach anti-graft rule

Twenty-eight cases involving mooncakes and other holiday gifts violated austerity rules in connection with Mid-Autum Festival, according to a CCTV report, as the nation's anti-graft watchdog stepped up efforts to forestall bribes during the holidays and made tip-off mechanisms available to the public.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China published on Monday a weekly report for Sept 1 to 7 that listed 177 total cases involving rules violations, including the 28 for holiday gifts.

Two cases were exposed in Beijing, one involving an official sending out food and gift cards to employees at Beijing National Grain Trade Center, and another in which an official gave 27,300 yuan ($4,400) in cash to employees at a cultural industry development promotion center in the city's Huairou district.