Striking the right balance: curb excess, not enterprise

The ongoing national campaign to crack down on illegal banquets – feasts tied to power-for-rent arrangements or lavish meals funded by public money – is a vital measure for maintaining the discipline and integrity of civil servants.

However, in enforcing such bans, particularly at the grassroots level, there is a possibility that law enforcement will go too far, declaring a blanket ban on all types of meals, as pointed out in a recent People's Daily Online commentary.

Such a broad ban, the daily said, is simply a new type of formalism that deprives eateries of real business.

In one province in eastern China, for example, all public employees were instructed to desist from attending banquets celebrating college admissions, marriages, or birthdays. They apply to any gathering of three or more people.

So it was said that if a family of four, who all happen to be public servants, choose to dine out, they should be seated separately and pretend not to know one another.

But these Procrustean rules do the opposite of energizing the local business landscape.

As if to make a point, a viral video doing the rounds states, "Now it is somewhat embarrassing to be seen feasting in a fancy restaurant – it betrays your status as a jobless idler capable of hanging around."

There is no denying that dining and drinking can be a breeding ground for corruption, but it is certainly counterproductive when many government employees find it scary to attend a perfectly normal social gathering among colleagues or even family members at their own expense.

The ban on lavish banquets is intended to benefit society as a whole by discouraging business deals that are frequently contracted over liberal cups of liquor, but there is a need for sobering reflections when this is dampening the vibrancy of the business scene in general by discouraging perfectly innocent diners. Given their constant income, it is not difficult to see civil servants playing a role in stimulating local consumption.

The campaign is meant to win the hearts and minds of the people by addressing grievances, but it backfires when it begins to influence those who conduct daily business.

According to statistics, normal dining is not only a fundamental aspect of people's lives but also a driving force in the economy, with the catering business generating revenues of over 5.5 trillion yuan (US$770 billion) last year and employing more than 30 million people.

It is a part of the economic ecosystem, ranging from street-side eateries to restaurants, all of which contribute to the market's vitality as well as the vibes and verve of city life. A few restaurants that strive to prosper by supplying exclusive meals to people who do not have to pay out of their own money should continue to be discouraged, but they, too, should be pushed to evolve into providers of dishes for the general public.

The overzealous but misguided enforcement of the restriction discourages all gatherings, including those among friends, at their own expense.

These local authorities are imposing harsh penalties on all businesses, essentially making up for their lack of administrative competence by issuing a blanket ban, with dire consequences for restaurateurs and many others who rely on them for a living: employees, providers of agricultural and aquatic products, property owners, and so on.

To ensure the campaign's effectiveness, precision is essential, with clearly defined "red lines," green areas, and a detailed grasp of the gray spaces that exist in between.

Extravagant and unlawful public-funded dinners should be prohibited at all costs, with exceptions provided for rare social gatherings for family or colleagues.