When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

You've reached your limit of one free article.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime .

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Exclusive International news coverage

Ad-free experience NEW

Weekly digital Magazine NEW

9 daily & weekly Newsletters

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Free trial

30-days free access, then $2.90
per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
China

The Chinese Art Of Balancing Budgets By Booking Vacations With Taxpayer Cash

One middle manager takes us inside an all-too-common practice: public offices that must spend their annual funding increasingly turn to travel agencies to set up all-expense-paid vacations for the whole staff. And of course, the big bosses get extra speci

A tourist bus in Beijing (unfoldedorigami)
A tourist bus in Beijing (unfoldedorigami)
Jia Yifang

Mr. Liu was just promoted to the job of deputy director of a small Investment Promotion Bureau in a northeast Chinese city that must remain nameless. Among Liu's end-of-the-year duties is balancing the bureau's books. Unlike offices elsewhere in the world these days, he did not face the problem of costs. Instead Liu had to figure out how to spend the leftover annual public funds. For if he couldn't spend it all, the bureau was bound to get much less money next year. All this extra cash: what a headache!

Fortunately a friend from a public department in the nearby city of Dalian offered an idea. "Take a trip abroad, and call it an official visit. Take all your staff. Not only will you spend the money, you'll have lots of fun!" The friend explained that his office had taken two recent "business trips' to Taiwan.

Another friend soon connected Liu to a local travel agency, where he booked an eight-day trip around Taiwan, with stays in four-star hotels. But at 6000 RMB ($946) per person, it seemed a bit much. Liu felt uneasy. After all this was the first time he was making such a decision. The travel agent misunderstood Liu's hesitancy as a hint for a discount, so immediately knocked off 100 RMB per person. Liu was amazed by the offer. And again, the agent took his reaction as a rejection of the offer, and continued to bargain: "Tell us frankly how much you want, my brother, and we'll arrange everything. No worries, we deal with such arrangement. We'll get you something additional on the flights."

Liu handed the dossier for the proposed business trip to his superior. What a surprise. Not only did he endorse it right away, he told Liu to purchase delicious Taiwan specialties on the trip. Liu had never expected that by spending money for his office, he could also put something aside for himself. But obviously, he realized, someone else was making even more than he did.

The Year-End Feast

Chang Yixuan, who has been working in the governmental travel sector for more than 10 years, was happy to talk about his business. For a lot of travel agencies, the year-end government tour groups are their biggest business. They set up so-called "Big Client Departments' to cater to these high-end groups. They provide tailor-made pleasure trips dubbed as "Fact-finding seminars' or "Business opportunity evaluations trips."

"These people want the best and the most expensive of everything," says Chang. "Nothing else matters."

Trying to alleviate the "pressure" of how to spend the remaining budget at the end of the year, certain government departments negotiate their yearly travel plan right at the beginning of the year. For the travel agencies, no one is a better client than a public servant. The 12% profit margin is much higher than ordinary public tours.

China's Ministry of Finance has repeatedly stressed the need for supervision of how Chinese officials manage their budgets. But with general public services spending increasing more than 10% each year, expenditure like Liu's is a drop in the bucket.

Fortunately, Liu can relax and does not have to worry about the tens of millions remaining in the budget. "The leaders take the burden of spending the leftover money on themselves… small personal expenses like five star hotels, and top class suits and drinks, but they can also renew their fleet of cars, or pass large orders for office supplies. They take care of the problem."

Read the original article in full in Chinese

Photo - unfoldedorigami

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Migrant Lives

They Migrated From Chiapas When Opportunities Dried Up, Orchids Brought Them Home

An orchid rehabilitation project is turning a small Mexican community into a tourist magnet — and attracting far-flung locals back to their hometown.

They Migrated From Chiapas When Opportunities Dried Up, Orchids Brought Them Home

Marcos Aguilar Pérez takes care of orchids rescued from the rainforest in his backyard in Santa Rita Las Flores, Mapastepec, Chiapas, Mexico.

Adriana Alcázar González/GPJ Mexico
Adriana Alcázar González

MAPASTEPEC — Sweat cascades down Candelaria Salas Gómez’s forehead as she separates the bulbs of one of the orchids she and the other members of the Santa Rita Las Flores Community Ecotourism group have rescued from the rainforest. The group houses and protects over 1,000 orchids recovered from El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, in the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas, after powerful storms.

“When the storms and heavy rains end, we climb to the vicinity of the mountains and collect the orchids that have fallen from the trees. We bring them to Santa Rita, care for them, and build their strength to reintegrate them into the reserve later,” says Salas Gómez, 32, as she attaches an orchid to a clay base to help it recover.

Like magnets, the orchids of Santa Rita have exerted a pull on those who have migrated from the area due to lack of opportunity. After years away from home, Salas Gómez was one of those who returned, attracted by the community venture to rescue these flowers and exhibit them as a tourist attraction, which provides residents with an adequate income.

Keep reading...Show less

The latest