A county in northeast China Heilongjiang Province has asked an airliner for free upgrade to first class for the county's three top officials, sparking criticisms online.

The Mohe County government's letter dated 2008 to the China Southern Airliner was posted online recently, China National Radio reported today.

The letter told the company's Heilongjiang branch to "consider its cooperation with the county government" and give the county's head Ji Bin, deputy head Zhang Dongbiao, and the Party chief Wang Xiuguo the free upgrade in flights from Mohe to Beijing and to the provincial capital Harbin City.

Neither the Mohe government nor the airliner has responded to the issue. The State has rules governing public travel: Only ministry level officials are entiled to first class seats during public trip.