Cigarettes and smoking is a serious status symbol in the Chinese business world. It's like golf everywhere else. They talk about cigarettes at their business meeting. brands go in and out of popularity on a weekly basis, and to be part of that world, you really have to keep up on which brand is "in." Gifting a client a hard-to-find pack of desirable cigarettes is an instant deal-maker.
It's nuts. They're probably feeding this kid smokes just to give him a head-start. I'd say these guys are thinking about nothing but his future. 😉