No stationery at government meetings, a ban on flashy buildings and inspectors to watch for food wastage 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,” laid down last month by top leaders at the Central Economic Work Conference. While President Xi Jinping has long discouraged excess, the renewed calls for austerity come as the world’s second-largest economy faces severe challenges.
"It is hard to square lavish spending on official ceremonies and events with an increasingly pessimistic economic outlook,” said Dominic Chiu, senior analyst at Eurasia Group. "The scaling down of expenditure is also important for upholding the party and government’s reputation in the eyes of the public.”