I think it is just the system in civil service and government-related companies. There is performance bonus in March, and then there is the year end bonus, where, for superscale salary earners (either damn old or damn educated), it is directly tied in with economic performance. The performance march is given out on a grading basis. Inevitably some people will get an "A" - and the luan qi ba zhao bonus that comes with it. Coupled with the fact that our economy still grew despite the shitty run-in, 8 months in total is not that impossible. For a private market equivalent, just ask the keppel engineers [...and aig executives who are pretty receiving the same form of flakes. ]