Hu sets an example with simple dinner

On the evening of Nov 17, President Hu Jintao hosted a banquet for US President Barrack Obama. The dinner included a cold dish, a chicken and soft tofu soup, and three hot dishes. The simple dinner should set a good example for officials who don't think twice before spending public money lavishly on food and drinks, says an article on Xinhuanet.com. Excerpts:

The dinner that President Hu Jintao hosted for his American counterpart Barack Obama comprised just three main dishes: Chinese style beef steak, sauteed wild rice shoots and asparagus, and roast sea grouper. A cold dish and a chicken and soft tofu soup completed the course.

Many people were surprised at the menu because it seemed too simple a spread for the heads of two of the world's largest countries. What's more, the only delicacy on the table was the roast sea grouper.

Actually, four dishes and a soup are enough for a person to satisfy his/her palate and hunger both. And such a dinner with four dishes and a soup has been a practice long promoted by the State.

Some people, especially government officials, create a fuss over simple but wholesome dinners because they have made a habit of wasting public money as well as food.

It is estimated that each year government officials spend at least 200 billion yuan ($29.28 billion) of public money on dinning and drinking. They do so on the pretext of entertaining their superiors, attracting investments and conducting surveys. Such officials also use public money on recreational activities and traveling.

Despite being repeatedly criticized by the public, as well as NPC deputies and CPPCC members, government departments have not cut their spending on such unnecessary events. A few days ago, the former director of Gaoting county health center in Zhejiang province was sentenced to 11 years for using public funds on dinner and drinks. Does this mean it is impossible to stop government officials from misusing public funds?

The simple dishes on offer at the State dinner should be a good example for extravagant officials to follow. And we sincerely hope they do so.

(China Daily 11/25/2009 page9)