Conference austerity police put a new twist on 'personalised' bottled water
Delegates to parliamentary sessions won't be overwhelmed with fancy hotel hospitality
Beijing has ratcheted up its campaign against waste and extravagant spending by government officials ahead of the annual parliamentary sessions next week, ordering luxurious dishes to be dropped from the menu and bottled water to be tagged with the names of delegates, the reported yesterday.
Instead, they had been asked by the authorities to distribute bottled water marked with delegates' names and not to give them a second bottle unless they have finished the first.
In the past, unfinished bottles were dumped after the meeting, the paper reported.
A source told the the National People's Congress rolled out guidelines earlier this year to control costs, streamline bureaucracy, cut waste and curb extravagance during sessions.
The guidelines did not give detailed instructions on bottled water.
Other officials and catering staff, however, seemed to be in the dark about the reported restrictions. A staff member at the state-owned Guo Er Zhao Hotel in the Haidian district of the capital said they had not received instructions on how to serve bottled water.
The news reminded some internet users of Premier Li Keqiang's first press conference in March last year in Beijing.
After Li left the room, several reporters rushed to the stage to grab leftovers as souvenirs, including Li's unfinished bottle of water.
The National People's Congress issued 15 guidelines last year to reduce spending.
These included bans on souvenirs, reception ceremonies and gourmet meals. The guidelines followed the "eight rules" against extravagance promoted by President Xi Jinping .
