“For Refusing a Drink With the Boss, He Was Slapped in the Face”, 25 August 2020

The new guy did not drink.

During a company dinner in Beijing… his boss at Xiamen International Bank demanded that he order an alcoholic beverage. When he refused, he said, another executive slapped him.

It was the slap heard around the country, prompting broad reflection on a professional drinking culture in China that rewards excessive drinking and alienates those who do not imbibe…

In a statement that verified the broad strokes of Mr. Yang’s account, the bank said that two directors had engaged in verbal and physical acts of misconduct while intoxicated at a private dinner, causing disturbance and harm to Mr. Yang.

The bank said it had deducted some of the pay of the two directors, from its Beijing branch, and had issued warnings to both for “drunken misconduct.” Mr. Yang’s boss, identified only by his surname, Dong, will not receive a performance-based bonus for six months, the bank added, and the branch manager will not receive a bonus for three months.

Around the globe, alcohol has long been seen as a way for workers to bond, as a catalyst for business deals and as a vital lubricant for professional connections…