Beijing police has cracked down on 46 recreational venues involved in prostitution, gambling, drugs and illicit performances since March, which included its first raid on a male escort nightclub, Beijing Morning Post reported yesterday.

Police officers found 98 male escorts and dozens of women customers when they raided the nightclub, known as Dazhengxin in Chinese pinyin, in April. To the astonishment of police officers, a man was performing a striptease on top of a table in front of some female audience.

Most of the male escorts come from northeastern China and are in their early 20s, the newspaper said.

Many of the female customers were off-duty escorts, some of the male escorts said.

Businesswomen were also found mingling in the crowd, who police believe, patron the club quite frequently, the newspaper said.

Beijing authorities will also implement thorough checks throughout the city starting on August 1. Venues that hold illegal activities will face more severe punishments in the future, the newspaper said.

(Shanghai Daily June 7, 2006)