International conferences held in the country will be subject to stricter approval procedures and sterner budgetary oversight, according to a joint notice issued by the ministries of finance and foreign affairs over the weekend.

Any bid to hold international conferences must be approved by the relevant authorities, the notice said, and events lacking substantial content will not be permitted, it added.

The notice, in principle, also forbids conferences being held purely under reciprocal arrangements by domestic or foreign partners. Events held under this arrangement, where, for example, a meeting is held in China after being held in another country the year before, must be evaluated for their importance and sustainability, the notice said.

The new rules aim to tighten the management of international conferences held in China, and the scale of such events should be restricted, the notice said.

"The presumption that conferences with more participants are more important is wrong and should be corrected.

"Prudence should be exercised for events with more than 100 participants", or they face possible rejection, it said.

The notice also stipulates that local governments and departments should restrict the number of international conferences inviting Party or State leaders, and should not promise foreign participants the presence of Chinese leaders.

The words such as "summit" or "international seminars" should not be used without approval, it said.

The Ministry of Finance also made it clear that international conferences that need government funds should get approval from financial departments ahead of time, and the money should be included in their budget management.

The notice also ordered local governments and all government departments to cap expenditure for hosting international conferences.

The hotel budget should be strictly monitored, and items such as toothpaste, towels, toothbrushes, souvenirs, and gifts "should not be given," it said.

Sightseeing trips and visits should also be banned, and only buffets, instead of banquets, should be served.

In addition, foreign participants, except VIPs, will have to cover their traveling costs and accommodation expenses, the notice said.

The move comes at the right time as China is inundated with an increasing number of so-called international conferences and seminars, Zhu Lijia, a professor of public administration with the Chinese Academy of Governance, said.

The official financial figure for holding international conferences is not available, but "I'm sure it is not a small number," he said.

Zhu said these events waste public funds and most of them are meaningless.

However, businesses dependent on such events have adopted a wait-and-see approach.

"How these new rules will be carried out has yet to be finalized," a public relations manager surnamed Peng at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center said on Sunday.

"Right now it's too early to predict the possible impact on our business," she added.

Tian Wei, communication manager of Shanghai-based Yongchun Business Consulting Company, was optimistic about the company's development despite the new rules.

The company had organized two international conferences for two central government departments in the past year, Tian said. "Unless we have further notification from our clients, I think these events will continue to be held this year."

Netizens had left more than 5,600 comments at sina.com, a major news portal, by 8 p.m. on Sunday, which almost unanimously supported the new rules. Many comments said the rules are necessary and timely as some international meetings in China were just a waste of taxpayers' money.

"The notice shows that the government is regulating" and taking the correct measures, said a netizen under the name of Minnanqiyun, from Xiamen of Fujian Province.

"It's progress, but good rules need effective implementation," the entry said.

Many netizens said domestic meetings should also be brought under stricter control.

(China Daily February 14, 2011)