A Communist Party of China (CPC) chief has warned fellow cadres and government officials about the possibility of "holiday corruption" bribes disguised as "traditional holiday gifts".

"Holiday corruption has seriously hampered economic development and the building of a harmonious society," said Xu Guangchun, secretary of the Henan Provincial Committee of the CPC.

Xu cited the case of Luan Weidong, a county-level official who had taken bribes worth a combined 823,000 yuan ($105,000) during the spring and mid-autumn festivals over the course of five years.

Luan was caught accepting money from subordinates and business leaders from 1999 to 2004, when he served as head of Xihua County in Henan Province. He defended himself by saying that accepting money on holidays is a Chinese tradition. "I have to send back the same or more on weddings, funerals or other festival occasions," he said.

Qin Sankuan, a lawyer, said it would be difficult to prove whether an exchange of money actually qualified as "holiday bribery" because the people who hand over the money generally do not seek immediate reward. Instead they tend to view the "gifts" as long-term "investments".

However, people who give large sums could be expected to ask for something in return, Qin said.

Zhao Sihai, the head of a local company, said he gave Luan 130,000 yuan ($16,667) every Spring Festival from 1999 to 2003. He said the money had "functioned well" in helping Zhao benefit illegally from Luan's influence.

Yang Hongchao, a law professor at Henan Agricultural University, said the government should draft regulations to crack down on "holiday corruption" and build mechanisms to monitor officials in places like entertainment venues.

(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2007)