• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind

2

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem

1

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind

2

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
China

China’s crackdown on its workplace drinking culture is a problem for the world’s largest liquor company

Grady McGregor
By
Grady McGregor
Grady McGregor
Down Arrow Button Icon
Grady McGregor
By
Grady McGregor
Grady McGregor
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 18, 2021, 5:23 AM ET
Video Poster
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

China’s quest for office sobriety is not going down smoothly for Kweichow Moutai, the Chinese liquor giant and the world’s largest liquor company by market capitalization.

The stock price for Kweichow Moutai has fallen nearly 10% since last Tuesday when China’s top anti-corruption watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), criticized drinking behaviors in Chinese offices.

The CCDI issued the statement on Aug. 10 in response to online furor regarding an account of a rape case at Chinese tech giant Alibaba. In the incident, a female employee at Alibaba reported that her boss, Wang Chengwen, forced her to go on a business trip in late July, pressured her to drink to the point where she blacked out, and then raped her, the employee wrote on an internal company message board.

The employee’s account went viral on Chinese social media, prompting Alibaba to fire the employee. (In an initial probe, local authorities in China’s eastern city of Jinan described the case as “forcible indecency” and not rape, but their investigation is still ongoing.)

But the case sparked a broader backlash to drinking culture at Chinese companies.

In a note to his employees, Alibaba chief executive Daniel Zhang vowed to rectify an “ugly forced drinking culture” that was plaguing the company. In the Aug. 10 statement, the CCDI said that it would strengthen oversight of Chinese companies to combat toxic work cultures in which employees are pressured to drink.

But if and how regulators will do that remains unclear. Pressuring others to drink is a behavior that is deeply entrenched in China’s business culture. It is seen by many as essential to striking deals, hosting banquets, or even conducting a job interview.

“The million dollar question is, does this mean there’s going to be a lot of regulation that will follow [the CCDI statement]… Or is this problem with irresponsible drinking something [that China will] address over time,” says Euan McLeish, a managing director and senior equity analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein in Hong Kong. McLeish explained that potential regulatory measures could include increased taxes on alcohol, education campaigns to limit drinking, and giving more power to servers to cut off drunk customers. “[This uncertainty] is why the liquor market is pretty jumpy at the moment.”

The share price for Kweichow Moutai competitor Wuliangye is similarly down nearly 8% since the CCDI announcement.

Kweichow Moutai is known for its expensive baijiu, a clear, strong liquor that is often distilled using sorghum or other grains and was famously a drink of choice for China’s founder Mao Zedong. Kweichow Moutai’s elite status has made it a symbol of wealth and power as well as a mainstay at business banquets across the country.

“It’s not something that a business would serve day-to-day,” says McLeish. “But it still is consumed very much on business occasions, when [businesses] are celebrating or there’s someone they are trying to impress.”

Kweichow Moutai’s popularity has made it one of China’s largest companies with a market capitalization of over $313 billion, nearly three times the size of Belgian alcohol giant Anheuser-Busch InBev, and powerful enough to help prop up the finances and fund public infrastructure of Guizhou province, the underdeveloped province in southern China where Kweichow Moutai is headquartered.

Moutai’s size and status within China may make the company relatively immune to the CCDI’s warning about drinking culture. The company withstood a regulatory crackdown once before, notes McLeish. In the early 2010s, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched an anti-corruption campaign that targeted the lavish spending habits of public officials.

But Brock Silvers, chief investment officer at Kaiyuan Capital in Hong Kong, says that Beijing’s latest campaign against drinking culture could spell trouble for Kweichow Moutai, given that Chinese authorities are currently cracking down on the power of many of the country’s largest firms.

“In this atmosphere, any regulatory attention will be taken seriously. China’s recent crackdown on workplace alcohol culture is thus an important matter for [Kweichow Moutai],” says Silvers. “It’s likely to affect the company’s bottom line and perhaps even scare investors sober.”

Subscribe to Eastworld for insight on what’s dominating business in Asia, delivered free to your inbox.

About the Author
Grady McGregor
By Grady McGregor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in

Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Alphabet Inc.
AIAlphabet
Anthropic and SpaceX just handed Google the biggest profit quarter in company history—on paper
By Eva RoytburgJuly 22, 2026
2 hours ago
Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks before Vice President JD Vance at the Wisconsin Air National Guard facility at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.
PoliticsDonald Trump
Trump admin deferring $1 billion-plus Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota amid ‘suspected fraud’
By The Associated Press and Ali SwensonJuly 22, 2026
5 hours ago
‘It’s called StreetEasy, not StreetHard’: Mamdani cracks down on scourge of ‘housefishing’ and ‘real estate slop’
Real EstateHousing
‘It’s called StreetEasy, not StreetHard’: Mamdani cracks down on scourge of ‘housefishing’ and ‘real estate slop’
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 22, 2026
5 hours ago
As Washington panics about Chinese AI, Jensen Huang says open-source models like Kimi are ‘excellent’ and should be embraced, not banned
AIChina
As Washington panics about Chinese AI, Jensen Huang says open-source models like Kimi are ‘excellent’ and should be embraced, not banned
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 22, 2026
5 hours ago
The Top Fitness and Wellness Gifts (2026): For the Busy Gym-Goer in Your Life
HealthFitness
The Top Fitness and Wellness Gifts (2026): For the Busy Gym-Goer in Your Life
By Christina SnyderJuly 22, 2026
5 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sits next to U.S. President Donald Trump.
AITech regulation
OpenAI’s rogue hacking incident was a warning shot. Will it be a wake-up call to finally create AI safety regulation?
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 22, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
Real Estate
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
9 hours ago
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
AI
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Cybersecurity
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
Success
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.