With reduced largesse, high-end caterers profit less, tighten belts

Li Hongjin, a manager at an upscale restaurant in Shanxi province, has grown frustrated over business in the past year.

"We used to have VIP tables, but now we've had to give them up," said Li, the manager of the Juguangju Hotel. "We have to turn to the ordinary because the business can barely survive."

The change coincided with the Communist Party of China's intensified anti-corruption campaign.