Before accompanying the Chinese premier, Li Keqiang, on a visit to a neighbourhood ravaged by the earthquake in Sichuan two weeks ago, Fan Jiyue, a county party chief, took an important precaution: he removed his wristwatch.

His concern was understandable. China’s new leadership is cracking down hard on ostentatious displays of wealth by party officials and corruption. As a result, expensive watches – a popular gift given by those seeking to win favour with Chinese businessmen and politicians – have become a source of unwanted attention.

Unfortunately for Mr Fan, unwanted attention is precisely what his move brought him: the watch-shaped tan lines on his wrist were spotted by China’s eagle-eyed netizens, and pictures of the local official’s unadorned arm went viral on the Chinese internet. With predictable alacrity, the country’s censors had soon blocked searches for Mr Fan.