China says no to ‘throwing eggs’: poker-style game loved by party officials loses shine
- Guandan, or ‘throwing eggs’ in Chinese, has fallen out of favour over concerns the game may fuel a ‘negative atmosphere’ in the workplace
Guandan – literally “throwing eggs” in Chinese – had taken public sector workers by storm after being officially endorsed by party bureaucrats, and once seemed poised to become a new national sport.
However, the game has fallen out of favour in recent weeks over concerns that it may fuel a passive attitude to work, according to a handful of contacts at government and state-owned enterprises who spoke to the South China Morning Post on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorised to speak to media.
[The game] damages the image of party members and officials, causing a negative social impact
“Now it is discouraged within the party system due to the negative trends and atmosphere associated with the game that are starting to emerge,” said an official whose superiors have nudged staff away from playing the game in recent weeks.
Senior managers want to “quickly stop the unhealthy trend and control the excess of the game before things get worse, as it would affect work performance and spread a negative atmosphere”, the official said.
In a commentary published on its official WeChat social media platform on Monday, Beijing Youth Daily urged cadres to be wary of the game as it could “foster a sense of decline or lethargy”.
The paper – which is the mouthpiece of the party’s youth league – said the game had increasingly become “a new obsession” for some officials and “a new tactic” for businesses, a reference presumably to currying favour with officials.
