In China, the health of government officials and people at the top of power is given special attention. Specially grown organic vegetables reach their plates. They also get good treatment and other facilities. A post is going viral on the social media platform Reddit claiming that pesticides are not used in official food in China. Where common people buy food from open markets and supermarkets. At the same time, food is delivered to officials under the ‘Tegong’ system. A research has also revealed that the average age of influential people in China, i.e. big officials and people in high positions, is about 7 years older than the general population.

According to research, the average age of death of China’s socially influential people is higher than that of ordinary citizens. At the same time, the special eating and drinking arrangement for officials in China, i.e. ‘taegong’, has also been discussed for a long time. However, research has not shown a specific diet as a direct cause of longevity. But many studies show that a healthy and well-balanced diet can help prolong life.

China’s influential people live longer than ordinary people

The research, published in 2025 in the Journal of Population Economics, studied data from 10,705 socially influential people in China. These include former national leaders, members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, representatives of the National People’s Congress and members of China’s political consultative body CPPCC. The study included data from people over the age of 65.

According to the research, the average age of death in this group was around 85 years. In comparison, the average life expectancy of the general population of China is about 78 years. That means there is a difference of almost 7 years between both the figures. The research also found that the higher a person’s rank and social status, the higher their average age of death. The figure was 84.58 years in the least dominant group, while it was 86.62 years in the most dominant group. The average age at death among top Communist Party leaders was recorded at 87.17 years, the highest among the groups included in the study.

According to the researchers, there could be several reasons behind this difference. More education, better economic status and access to better healthcare facilities can play a role in increasing people’s life expectancy. Research has also shown that Beijing’s top scientists get priority access to better medical facilities.

What is the Chinese ‘Taegong’ system?

In China, the arrangement of special facilities for officials and special people is called ‘Taegong’. This arrangement is said to belong to the early period of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Under this arrangement has been made to provide selected goods and facilities to government officials and some special people.

Over time, this arrangement was not limited to just food and drink. Facilities like special food items, vehicles, housing, private cooks and doctors are also mentioned under it in different reports. The special feature of this arrangement in terms of food and drink is that separate supply of vegetables and other food items is reported to have been arranged for the officials. It is also said that special attention should be paid to the quality and manufacture of these items.

Are vegetables grown separately for officials?

There have been several reports from time to time regarding the special food supply system for officials in China. According to a report in Southern Weekly, a nursery was built in Beijing to grow vegetables for the Customs Department. It was surrounded by high walls, iron bars and security guards. In the report, it was described as an example of special food supply centers created for government departments. It has been said that these centers will have special rules regarding production and supply of vegetables. It includes systems such as control over the use of chemicals, timely harvesting of crops and monitoring from production to supply.

Such arrangements have also been mentioned in matters related to food security. When thousands of children in China fell ill due to adulterated baby formula, reports mentioned special food supply centers for the central offices of the State Council. This raised questions as to whether the authorities were getting a different protection from the food security problems faced by the general public.