No booze, less food at China banquets: official

BEIJING (AFP) — China will no longer wine and dine visiting heads of state at sumptuous banquets, cutting back the fare to just one soup, three dishes and no liquor, a senior official said Wednesday.

The scaled-down menu comes as China implements government savings and encourages thriftiness in the face of the global financial crisis, said Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for China's parliament, which convenes this week.

"When our president... and prime minister invite foreign heads of state, during the state banquet the menu will not exceed one soup and three dishes," Li said.

"No Chinese liquor will be served."

Li was speaking at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, where important foreign visitors are usually treated to elaborate banquets featuring fiery Chinese liquor in generous quantities.