The political economy of cigarettes

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Offering cigarettes is a courtesy that Chinese people consider normal; when trying to get closer to strangers, sharing cigarettes serves as a lubricant just as important as exchanging polite words. When acquaintances get together and one smokes, it is considered impolite not to offer a cigarette to one’s companions. However, Europeans and Americans do not have the custom of offering cigarettes to each other; the only place abroad where one can see this practice is on the battlefield. Smoking is believed to help alleviate anxiety. During wars, when cigarettes were in short supply, several people would share one cigarette as a sign of camaraderie; this is a detail that is often depicted in literature and films. However, the practice of offering cigarettes is not as widespread or casual as it is in China. In the old movies from the Republic of China era, although there were many scenes of smoking, at most it was modern men who lit cigarettes for fashionable women, and it was rare to see them offering cigarettes to each other. When exactly did this custom of offering cigarettes to the Chinese begin? Perhaps the Japanese troops that invaded China were the first to notice that Chinese people had a special habit of smoking tobacco in separate ways*. In \"The Security Operations in North China\", compiled by the War History Department of Japan’s Defense Agency, there is a chapter on how to distinguish *people from ordinary civilians. The third piece of advice given is: \"Distinguish them through interrogations and brief conversations.\" The description reads as follows: \"Take advantage of the opportunities during interrogations and conversations to give them cigarettes and other items, in order to test their sense of ‘ownership’ over those items.\" Due to their strong ‘**sense of consciousness**, Party members often share cigarettes with others, and when eating, they refrain from competing to be the first. On the other hand, due to a weak sense of privacy, some people often ask for cigarettes without any courtesy when facing interrogators. ” Today, the Chinese preference for the style of writing characteristic of the Three Words may well stem from the practices that existed within the military back then. After 1949, a large number of soldiers were demobilized and turned into local officials, allowing these practices to be carried over to the local areas. Meanwhile, Chinese society also went through a process of becoming increasingly militarized, both in terms of organization and culture. The practice of separating cigarettes stems from a \"shared concept,\" and Russia and North Korea might serve as examples. The habit of sharing cigarettes among Russians is not as widespread as among Chinese people, and there are clear differences between the two. When they offer cigarettes, they open the entire pack and let the other person pick one themselves. The proportion of smokers in North Korea is exceptionally high, perhaps due to the high proportion of military personnel among its population. The grade of cigarettes symbolizes status, another characteristic of Chinese culture. China has an unparalleled variety of cigarettes, along with the widest price disparities in the world. In foreign countries, the prices of well-known cigarettes usually vary very little; in some developed countries, the cigarettes available in vending machines even all have the same price. The culture in which cigarettes symbolize status stems from a system based on matching hierarchical levels of power. In 1951, the tobacco industry in Shanghai began to undertake the production of special-purpose cigarettes. The “Zhonghua” cigarette, a symbol of premium cigarettes, was introduced in 1951; by 1966, the annual production volume of Zhonghua cigarettes with filters was only 110 boxes ； As for the famous “Panda” brand of cigarettes, only a few hundred packs are produced each year. China’s unique cigarette culture has given rise to distinctly different brand and visual cultures for cigarettes both in China and abroad. The packaging design of cigarettes from other countries is generally simple and unadorned; the brand logos carry almost no additional information, and they often feature abstract symbols that emphasize a certain attitude or vibe. For example, Marlboro has created a brand image that conveys a sense of masculinity. Cigarette packaging design in China is much more complex and elaborate, first and foremost because cigarettes have long served an ideological function in China. Before 1949, Chinese cigarettes emphasized national identity as a key feature; a typical example was the Wangshi brand of cigarettes, whose packaging featured advertisements promoting patriotism: \"The lion is the king of all beasts, and its roar is enough to startle others. The Wangshi cigarettes produced by our company are designed to foster patriotism among our fellow citizens. Those who love their country should smoke these cigarettes every day so that they can always remain mindful of patriotic values.\" ”After 1949, red became the dominant color in Chinese cigarette packaging, with gears, wheat ears, factories, torches, and tractors being the most common elements. Today, Chinese cigarettes have largely been depoliticized; not only are cutting-edge technologies used in their printing and packaging – technologies second only to those used in printing banknotes and securities – but their names also reflect the characteristics of the times: those with prices of over 900 yuan per pack almost all have names that convey lofty aspirations. Their naming styles can be roughly divided into four categories: the red-themed style, the power-themed style, the flashy ethnic style, and the upscale style. The red-themed narrative revolves around themes such as \"for whom,\" \"prosperous times,\" \"good days,\" \"harmonious country,\" \"Jinggangshan,\" and \"the golden years.\" Power particularly favors nice terms such as “Dragon of the World,” “Virtue and Grace Across the World,” “Legendary Emperor,” “Supreme,” “Empire,” and “Nine Five.” Those who prefer a vibrant ethnic style will like festive expressions such as “Flowers bring prosperity,” “Joy fills the heart,” “Abundance of wealth and treasures,” and “Good luck.” Names like “Exquisite Product,” “Premium Product,” “Quality Path,” “Confucian Style,” and “Spring and Autumn” carry an elegant aura that gives the impression of a touch of divinity. Overall, the higher the price range, the greater the probability of the red dominant theme appearing. The naming of premium cigarettes clearly indicates who their true consumers are. Today, the “Zhonghua” cigarette is no longer a symbol of the highest quality, but it remains an object of imitation. Since the soft-packaged \"Zhonghua\" cigarettes are more expensive than the hard-packaged ones, some newly launched premium cigarettes adopt the same pricing strategy. “The red heritage of the “Zhonghua” cigarette is still surrounded by various legends. For example, the packaging of Soft China cigarettes features Arabic numerals as serial numbers, starting with 1, 2, or 3. Many people believe that those starting with 3 are of higher quality than those starting with 1 or 2 and are considered premium versions; some merchants even take advantage of this to raise prices. Simply breaking a price record does not mean that one gains an equivalent status. In front of the special cigarettes with white packs bearing the red inscription \"Serve the People,\" most of the colorful, high-end cigarettes pale in comparison. And when cigarettes labeled as \"For use by senior leaders only\" appear, those with a \"luxurious\" style, a \"powerful\" vibe, or a red-themed design are all reduced to their basic forms. However, the symbolic value associated with cigarettes is not recognized by a small portion of people – only around 3% of people in China smoke blended cigarettes, while globally this figure is 70%; China and some islands in the Pacific are among the few regions where there is a preference for smoked tobacco. The price of mixed cigarettes in China is generally between 5 and 20 yuan, which is far too low for them to be considered part of the premium cigarette category. Except for a few domestic brands such as “Zhongnanhai,” most blended cigarettes are imported. Consumers of mixed cigarettes in China are highly concentrated in Beijing, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta regions, with Beijing leading the country with a 30% share. Most of them are not sensitive to the quality or price of cigarettes. A market analysis report on the tobacco industry states: “Mixed cigarettes with retail prices ranging from 5 to 10 yuan per pack are targeted at people in the cultural and entertainment industries; mixed cigarettes with retail prices of over 10 yuan per pack are aimed at high-income individuals and foreigners living in Beijing.” ”Among them, foreigners’ smoking habits* are quite different from those of locals, and the concepts of sharing cigarettes or offering them to others are also very weak. Compared to less developed areas in the interior, high-income groups in coastal areas do not show a strong enthusiasm for smoking cigarettes. When those who have moved to coastal areas for development return to their hometowns during holidays, the disparity in cigarette culture becomes awkwardly apparent: compared to their old acquaintances back home, the cigarettes they bring with them seem particularly shoddy, without them even realizing it. For a long time, smoking was portrayed in a positive light in China. In movies from before the reform and opening up, aside from spies, **officers and Japanese officers rarely smoked. In the films and TV dramas that celebrated reform-minded factory managers and grassroots heroes from the 1980s to the early 1990s, these characteristically reform-minded individuals were often shown with furrowed brows, exhaling smoke. Among the older generation of proletarian revolutionaries, with very few exceptions such as Zhou Enlai, they were generally depicted in films and TV shows as always holding cigarettes in their hands. Unique hairstyles, dialects, and traditional smoking styles are key elements that special effect actors focus on in order to make themselves more resemble leaders. In discussing the tips for playing *, Gu Yue noted that * doesn’t like to flick ash while smoking; instead, he waits until the ash has built up before gently brushing it away with his hand- ； The leader provided special effect actors with too many details to imitate them. However, it will be difficult for special effect actors in the future to portray today’s leaders well. At the end of 2013, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the \"Notice on Matters Concerning Leading Cadres Taking the Lead in Banning Smoking in Public Places\" – smoking is no longer allowed.