"Nor do they conform to the simple traditional virtues venerated by the Chinese nation, and they are unhelpful for social harmony."

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's national capital has launched a crackdown on over-the-top advertising, claiming that the ads offend socialist values and threaten "social harmony" in the 2008 Olympic host city.

Beijing may be capital of a socialist state, but the city's aggressive real estate developers have been reaching for Donald Trump-like capitalist superlatives to sell housing.

"Luxurious," "ultra-distinguished", "supreme pleasure" and other terms crowd billboards that promise buyers the life of moguls or aristocrats. Read more