The Fujian provincial discipline inspection authorities in East China handed down punishments to three county-level civil servants in late May for having sexual relations with some "teahouse waitresses", who were actually prostitutes working for a suspected criminal who was blackmailing the officials for money. The case is similar to the one in Chongqing in Southwest China in 2012. The Fujian authorities have said they are investigating the case. Comments:

The Fujian provincial authorities should not regard the three officials' case as just a moral or disciplinary issue. The investigation into the case must continue and be submitted to the judiciary, because people suspect corruption is part of the sex and blackmailing rackets, and the officials might have traded public interests for personal gains. The authorities should exercise the utmost transparency in the probe to prevent public speculation.

Scol.com, July 2

The blackmailers targeted the officials to exploit their powers. Perhaps the blackmailers believed that the targeted officials would swallow their bait and cough up enough money to save themselves and never dare to report the case to police to protect their jobs. The blackmailers made use of human weaknesses and exploited the loopholes in the bureaucracy, under which relations between officials and businesspeople are tricky. To some extent, the officials were both victims and beneficiaries of the power they exercised under lax supervision.

China Youth Daily, July 2

Some officials seem confident they have the power to solve the problems created by their sexual liaisons and some childishly believe "obedient" women like the "teahouse waitresses" will never make any trouble for them. Drunk with power, they drop their guard against potential dangers such as sexual relationships. People who exercise power must be more vigilant against their daily contacts.

Zhengzhou Daily, July 2