A washing machine is worth 72,400 yuan ($11,504), and a tissue box in the restroom costs 1,125 yuan. These surprisingly expensive items, including a 15-inch liquid crystal display worth 10,000 yuan and a refrigerated cabinet worth 68,000 yuan, are not from a high-class villa but a high-speed train, according to a recent Century Weekly report.

We can see from these prices that there are abuses in the bidding process. Rather than using normal bidding, the Ministry of Railways has set up a compulsory process which may have offered room for companies to win by bribery.

Meanwhile, the Ministry has appointed suppliers to provide items, creating monopolies.

The luxurious high-speed train may have something to do with the corruption case of Liu Zhijun, former minister of railways, who was held responsible for last year's Wenzhou train crash.

But the public remains worried about whether the purchase of luxurious items on the train has stopped, and whether the Ministry has reevaluated relevant suppliers and products.

The Beijing News