No booze, no flowers: Chinese officials told to tighten their belts
As China faces economic headwinds — from a continued trade war with the United States and slower growth at home — it has ordered officials to tighten their belts and “lead the way in living a frugal life.”
Guidelines issued by the State Council, the equivalent of the country’s cabinet, detailed austerity measures that covered how government funds should be used for an array of expenses including travel and office spaces. (Office furniture should be used for as long as possible.)
“Practicing thrift and opposing waste are the glorious tradition and fine style of our party,” the official People’s Daily said Monday in an article hailing the regulations, released the previous day. Another editorial in the Paper, a Shanghai outlet, said the campaign would help create a culture where “waste is seen as shameful and frugality as honorable.”
