Recession hits hard: No food at Chinese Banquets

This from Wednesday 4 March 2009 Courier-Mail online. I suspect the sub-editor meant "No booze, less food at Chinese banquet". Perhaps he/she had just been for a "No food, more booze" dinner.

No food, less booze at China banquets

Article from: Agence France-Presse

From correspondents in Beijing

March 04, 2009 06:25pm

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 says.

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."