For some this may be an approach that works well, for others it will be constant sense of frustration.

Thanks for your detailed post.

It just irks me that whenever there is an official visit by the police/local party members/prestigious school from Shanghai, the red carpet goes out, and everything has to be perfect.

As soon as they have left things revert back to the same normal peasant philosophy of do nothing except as little as possible and smoke and spit everywhere.