China officials’ spending on trips, cars down in 2015

By Mahmut Atanur

BEIJING

Chinese officials’ spending on overseas trips, vehicles and receptions last year fell below the budget allocated for such expenses, the finance ministry revealed Wednesday amid a campaign against corruption and lavish spending.

A statement on its website revealed that a total of 5.37 billion yuan ($830 million) had been used from a budget of 6.31 billion yuan ($975 million) set aside for “sangong expenditure”.

Although 943 million yuan ($145 milion) was saved last year, the ministry said the budget for 2016 would only be slightly less than that of 2015.

"It is OK as long as the budget does not exceed that of last year," the statement added.

"And the sangong budget is the upper limit. Each department should spend its money strictly within the range allowed."

Beijing has only begun publishing its sangong expenditure in recent years, amid the central government’s transparency efforts and public criticism of perceived misuse of funds by officials.

China’s top anti-graft watchdog announced Tuesday that 9,361 officials were penalized in the first quarter of this year for allegedly breaching austerity regulations.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a report that around one fourth of the cases involved illicit allowances and benefits as well as excessive use of public vehicles.

President Xi Jinping launched a wide-reaching crackdown on corruption among officials in 2013, since when tens of thousands of suspects -- including dozens of high-profile individuals at the top of the Communist Party -- have been investigated.