There is a difference between giving a gift, even a lavish gift, and trading public services directly for private gain. This isn’t an American or Chinese view. When these arrangements become public, Weibo goes wild and Beijing is incentivised to respond.

That's a bit hyperbolic. Corruption is illegal there, too. Nobody there cares much until you step on the wrong toes, then you are in serious trouble. It's a case of rule of law vs rule by law.

Westerners who travel abroad on behalf of corporations are trained on this religiously. It’s considered corruption on home turf, and entertaining it can come back on a company quite hard both domestically and internationally, particularly when a government official is involved.

“But $trainer, you mean I really have to report the $80 dinner I was treated to in Shanghai?” You bet. If you operate a startup that does deals internationally and aren’t training your team from a risk management standpoint, the legal downside is huge if a government decides to look at you. Start with the Bribery Act of 2010, the FCPA, and so on.

Agreed. FCPA is ruthlessly enforced. And for good reason.