Beijing tightens over officials training abroad

BEIJING - The Beijing municipal government will tighten controls on officials' going abroad for training, as it aims to stop taxpayers money being wasted on overseas junkets.

According to a circular posted on the website of the Beijing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security on Wednesday, the Beijing government will make it harder for officials to go overseas on training programs.

All overseas training programs must be approved by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, according to the circular.

Though short-term training can be granted, officials are not allowed to obtain diplomas via these programs, the circular reads.

The circular also stipulates that officials will only get $10 each for daily miscellaneous expenses.

The new rules came as the public demands more transparent disclosure of the use of public funds for receptions, vehicles and overseas trips, also known as "the three public consumptions."

The Chinese central government on Monday promulgated a new regulation designed to reduce administrative costs for government and public institutions.

The regulation defines a frugal working style for the country's civil servants, calling for greater supervision over the use of "the three public consumptions", which have been deemed by the public as a major source of corruption and waste.

Figures released by the Ministry of Finance showed that China's central government expenditure last year totaled 5.64 trillion yuan ($892.28 billion), up 16.8 percent from the expenditure in 2010.