Harbin Fire Official Says Expensive Moncler Jacket Was Gift

From NetEase:

“Padded Jacket Brother”: Down-Filled Jacket Just Several Thousand Yuan

Harbin city official wears luxury brand down jacket during fire fighting, claims daughter purchased it for him from abroad.

January 2nd, at the Harbin fire disaster that claimed the lives of 5 firefighters, Harbin Municipal Party Committee Member and Secretary-General Shi Jiaxing wore an expensive down-filled jacket at the scene of the fire. The photo of Shi Jiaxing wearing his name brand down jacket attracted attention from netizens who dubbed him “Padded Jacket Brother”. The goose down garment that Shi Jiaxing wore is by the brand Moncler, which is sold for over 10,000 yuan domestically. Shi Jiaxing responded to the media claiming his down jacket was bought abroad by his daughter, and just a few thousand RMB.

In this photo that spread widely on WeChat and Weibo, a government official wearing glasses and a black down jacket is receiving a report on the scene [of the fire]. Netizens added the caption: “To sacrifice one’s life for the country at such a young age, 20,000 [RMB] is given as death compensation. What this government leader wearing glasses is wearing is a Moncler down jacket, which retails for over 10,000 [RMB]. The 20,000 death compensation is so they can buy a down jacket.”

By comparing photos, NetEase media discovered that the government official in the photo is Harbin Municipal Party Committee Member and Secretary-General Shi Jiaxing. Information on the Harbin city government’s website show that he is responsible for coordinating the Municipal Party Committee’s detailed activities and operations. He is in charge of managing all the affairs of the Municipal Working Committee. He is also in charge of the Municipal Party Committee General Office, Municipal Party Committee Political Research Office, Municipal Archives Administration, and assists the Municipal Bureau for Complaints.

The photo shows clearly that the logo on this government official’s down jacket is indeed Moncler. Moncler is a famous brand based in France’s Grenoble that specializes in producing outdoor athletic equipment, and already has a specialty store in Harbin. The prices of down jackets on it’s Chinese-language website are 10,000 yuan and above.

This afternoon, Shi Jiaxing indicated during an interview with ThePaper that this down jacket was a gift his daughter purchased from abroad for him, and that the price abroad was just several thousand kuai [RMB]. Shi Jiaxing claims he wore this down jacket to go see his daughter working in Beijing on January 2nd during the New Year’s Day holiday period. After learning that the fire had claimed the lives of firefighters that night, he immediately changed the ticket for his flight to rush back to Harbin by the morning of the 3rd. He says because the situation was urgent, he had rushed directly from the airport to the scene of the fire rescue, and did not have the time to change clothes. Shi Jiaxing indicates that he is completely thankful of netizens’ oversight [of government officials] and understands the public being upset over the the death of the 5 firefighters and the injuries suffered by over a dozen. He says his momentary carelessness during the urgent circumstances of a fire rescue instigated negative public sentiments, objectively impacted the image of Party members and cadres in a negative way, and for this he feels deeply ashamed.

On the afternoon of January 2nd, a fire broke out at a warehouse in Harbin, killing 5 firefighters. Afterwards, the Heilongjiang Provincial Public Security Department’s official microblog posted information saying that it has provided 20,000 yuan in death compensation to the families of every martyr [firefighter that died in the line of duty], and incited netizen discontent. Shi Jiaxing’s down jacket was also used [by netizens] for comparison. Afterward, the relevant departments clarified that the 20,000 yuan was just the benefit provided by the “National Public Security Police Death Compensation for Meritorious Service Fund”, and that the death compensation for firefighters who die in the line of duty far exceeds this amount, possibly exceeding 500,000 yuan.

Text: Zhang Shuzhou. Editor: Zhang Han.

Comments from NetEase:

网易黑龙江省手机网友 ip：42.102.*.*

Saying things are better abroad than in China in disguise.

网易江苏省盐城市东台市手机网友(58.241.*.*)：

How did his daughter go abroad? How much were her expenses? Is his household income enough to provide for the expenses of his daughter studying or living abroad? If she works, then what kind of employer does she work for? Is it an overseas branch of a Chinese state company? Is there any exploitation of official connections involved? There are too many trails of investigation to pursue.

网易澳大利亚手机网友 ip：101.176.*.* (responding to above)

After watching Detective Conan, it’s time for you to go back to moving bricks.

网易河北省秦皇岛市手机网友 ip：120.6.*.*

Then explain the money your daughter had to go abroad.

网易北京市手机网友(114.248.*.*)：

As a municipal government official, even with a reasonable income, it isn’t a big deal to be able to purchase this down garment…

网易江西省赣州市手机网友 ip：182.107.*.* (responding to above)

Bullshit, a municipal government official’s salary is just a few thousand. How much more could a department-level official make?

1984OWY5 [网易黑龙江省哈尔滨市手机网友]：

My god, so dark. In the future, civil servants shouldn’t complain about increasing their pay. Even if your pay is increased, do you dare spend it? This story tells us that civil servants don’t have the right to save money to buy expensive things, that their children also don’t have the right to go abroad, because the moment you accumulate enough money to make a single big purchase, a bunch of glass-hearts [oversensitive people] online will criticize you.
If you don’t have have any evidence, don’t babble, this isn’t the Cultural Revolution. A person with ten houses may be proof of corruption, but what can buying a single piece of nice clothing prove?

网易江苏省泰州市手机网友 ip：58.222.*.*

He’s not far from being formally detained and investigated for discipline violations.

网易湖南省长沙市手机网友 ip：223.104.*.*

Rome was not built in a day! Just think about why there is public hatred of the rich and of government officials! Think about the deeper reasons!/causes!

Richard夏 [网易江苏省南京市手机网友]：

This bastard must be strictly investigated.

网易黑龙江省哈尔滨市手机网友 ip：125.211.*.*

Purchased abroad, but how did your child go abroad if not for you having money? So where did your money come from? A person’s life not even worth two down jackets!

伴你远航 [网易江苏省镇江市手机网友]：

Investigate and there is sure to be problems.