China Denounces Poker-Style Game, Accuses Officials of Neglecting Work

People play cards at a local park in Beijing on Apr. 18, 2024. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Chinese state media has issued a strong critique of a popular poker-style game and accused officials of using it to forge political connections and seek personal gain, which could facilitate corruption.

The homegrown game of Guandan, which means “throwing eggs,” is played with two decks of cards by four players divided into two teams. The team that plays the last card before their opponent wins.

The card game, which started in East China in financial circles, has been popular among Chinese people for socializing and passing the time.

However, Guandan has come under scrutiny by Beijing Youth Daily, a newspaper under the state-owned Beijing Daily Newspaper Group, which published a series of commentaries denouncing the game from Aug. 5 to 7.

“Guandan has become a useful tool for social networking, and as a result, it has also turned into a stepping stone for some people attempting to engage in political connections and pursue personal gain,” read an Aug. 7 commentary titled “Urgent Need to Dismantle the ‘Clique Culture’ Around Guandan.”

According to the state-controlled publication, Guandan attracted an estimated 140 million players in 2023.

Lying Flat

Some Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members and officials have spent tens of hours per week on the game and neglected their work, according to the Aug. 5 commentary, which called the game a new norm of the “lying flat culture.”

“Lying flat“ is an internet buzzword that refers to the passive and inactive attitude of Chinese youth toward societal pressures by doing the bare minimum. This attitude has evolved into officials trying to protect themselves and minimize losses by not fully engaging or exerting effort.

CCP leader Xi Jinping has vowed to crack down on the lifestyle.

In September 2023, Qiushi, a leading Party magazine, published a speech by Xi, who called for efforts to prevent the spread of “negative and passive ‘lying flat’ attitudes.”

Chinese observers, however, say the Party’s tightened grip triggered the “lying flat” movement.

Yuan Hongbing, a former law professor at Peking University, has described party officials who have been lying flat as “a widespread phenomenon.”

He noted local officials face salary cuts, and some have been forced to buy long-term government bonds to address financial issues. “As a result, many grassroots officials are adopting a passive, disengaged attitude,” he told The Epoch Times in a 2023 interview.

Wang He, a U.S.-based current affairs commentator, went further.

“The entire system of officials has a ‘lying flat’ mindset. If no one tells them to act, they won’t budge. When instructions come from above, they go through the formalities. As a result, it is very difficult to implement any policy from the top down,” he told The Epoch Times.