China Officials Told Xi’s Belt-Tightening Rules Here to Stay
- Top leaders ask bureaucrats to “get used to” norm of frugality
- Local governments pull back from meetings, flashy projects
The Great Hall of People in Beijing. Guangzhou issued a notice at the start of the year exhorting officials to reduce the duration and size of meetings, and prioritize online conferences.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
No stationery at government meetings, a ban on flashy buildings and inspectors to watch for wasted food at official functions.
These are some of the measures that local governments across China are taking in accordance with an order from Beijing that they “get used to belt-tightening,” an edict laid down last month by top leaders at the Central Economic Work Conference.