As China’s Economy Sputters, Perks Vanish for Local Officials While Security Budgets Grow

Lifestyle cuts and wage delays hit officials while the regime prioritizes control and repression, insiders say.

A child stands on a terrace at a mall, looking at the CCTV Headquarters building in the business district of Beijing on July 10, 2025. Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images

China’s Ministry of Finance held a rare “warning and education conference” on July 16, where Minister Lan Fo’an called on Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials to crack down on “hedonism and extravagance.” 

The campaign urged all levels of government to “get used to hard times” and curb spending, a message that has become increasingly common amid the country’s worsening economic outlook.