In the latest crackdown on political extravagance, China is banning shark fin and bird’s-nest soups from official receptions, and prohibiting lower-level officials from staying in suites on business trips.
A document from the Communist Party of China explicitly states that the two dishes, considered delicacies in China, as well as wild-animal products are not allowed at official reception dinners, state news agency Xinhua reports. The rules are meant to regulate public funding of reception dinners, and they also ban cigarettes and alcohol from official meetings.
Cash, negotiable securities and souvenirs are also ruled out as gifts to politicians, according to the document.
The document is aimed to “promote frugality, oppose extravagance and enhance the anti-corruption efforts among Party and governmental authorities,” according to Xinhua. Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to address public outcry over political corruption and fiscal waste.
[Xinhua]