China on Sunday banned shark fin for official dinners as part of its austerity drive. The controversial ingredient joins hairy crabs, mooncakes and expensive suitcases as the latest victim of President Xi Jinping’s campaign.
中国周日发布《党政机关国内公务接待管理规定》，禁止工作餐提供鱼翅等菜肴，这是厉行节约运动的一部分。继大闸蟹、月饼和高档行李箱之后，鱼翅这种备受争议的食材也成为中国国家主席习近平发起的这场运动的“受害者”。Chinese state media reported that the central government has banned official dinners with shark fin, bird’s nest and wild animal products in a new directive. Xinhua, the state news agency, said government staff would not be able to serve cigarettes and expensive alcohol at official functions.
中国官方通讯社新华社报道，中央政府下达的这项新规定禁止工作餐提供鱼翅、燕窝和用野生保护动物制作的菜肴，禁止提供香烟和高档酒水。This comes as Samsonite, the 103-year-old luggage maker, says China sales will show a “certain amount of moderation” this year due to Mr Xi clamping down on extravagant spending.
与此同时，已有103年历史的行李箱制造商新秀丽(Samsonite)表示，受习近平打击奢侈浪费风气影响，该公司今年在华销售增长将出现“一定程度的放缓”。
Ramesh Tainwala, Samsonite’s Asia head, says sales are expected to decline at least 10 percentage points from a growth rate of more than 20 per cent last year to 12-15 per cent this year.
新秀丽亚洲区总裁拉梅什?塔因瓦拉(Ramesh Tainwala)表示，今年销售额增长率将下滑至少10个百分点，由去年的逾20%降至12%至15%之间。“Because of the austerity drive that is going on with the government? Officials are now trying to learn?.?.?.?how they are supposed to react,” says Mr Tainwala. “Will this be considered as, let us say, a luxury or avoidable expense?”
塔因瓦拉表示：“因为中国政府眼下正在推行的厉行节约运动……官员如今正努力搞清楚……他们该怎么做。比如说，他们会想，这会不会被视为奢侈品或可避免的支出呢？”Since coming to power a year ago, Mr Xi has cracked down on excessive spending by government officials. The drive has taken a toll on everything from culinary delicacies such as abalone and exotic crabs to the kind of transportation and hotels that government workers use on official business trips.
自一年前上台以来，习近平一直在打击政府官员的过度支出。这项运动波及了方方面面，从鲍鱼、大闸蟹等美味食物，到政府工作人员在差旅中的交通方式和住宿规格。One Beijing resident and local official who travels to Nanjing to visit a relative says she was accustomed to being picked up at the airport in a government car. But she says the car has disappeared since Mr Xi became China’s leader.
一名经常去南京探亲的北京地方官员说，过去她一下飞机就坐上在机场等候的公务车，自从习近平上台以来，这种待遇就消失了。To power his campaign, Mr Xi, or his propaganda team, has created slogans such as “four dishes and a soup” to urge officials to refrain from the kind of previously ubiquitous banquets that were laced with copious amounts of baijiu or, in more recent years, expensive claret.
为宣传这场运动，习近平（或他的宣传团队）创造了“四菜一汤”等宣传语，以敦促官员杜绝过去普遍存在的那种摆满高档白酒（近年来则还有高档红酒）的公务宴请。In an interview, Tim Parker, Samsonite chief executive, and Mr Tainwala stress that China remains a very important market for the company. Mr Parker says he can “well imagine that in the next sort of three to four years that the company will make its first acquisition of a Chinese business”.
塔因瓦拉和新秀丽首席执行官蒂姆?帕克(Tim Parker)在一次采访中强调，中国仍是新秀丽非常重要的市场。帕克表示，他完全可以“设想，再过个三四年左右，新秀丽将首次收购一家中国企业”。But, in the meantime, Samsonite must join other global luxury brands in navigating the new austere landscape in China. Mr Tainwala says one way the campaign is hurting business is through the impact on corporate gifts. Banks have also cut back on redemption campaigns that allow customers to exchange accumulated points for luggage and other items.
但与此同时，新秀丽必须和其他国际奢侈品牌一样，应对厉行节约运动下中国的新形势。塔因瓦拉表示，这场运动冲击公司业务的方式之一，是影响企业的礼品购买行为。银行也减少了积分兑换行李箱等礼品的活动。As a result, there has been “a lot of slack” in Samsonite’s sales to businesses in China. Mr Tainwala says airlines that typically buy cases in bulk for flight crews until recently held off, as they tried to interpret the rules being telegraphed by Mr Xi.
因此，新秀丽在华对企业销售情况“很不景气”。塔因瓦拉表示，航空公司以前往往批量购买行李箱，配发给机组成员，但最近也不这么做了，因为航空公司试图解读习近平主政下这些新规定传递出什么样的信息。“Buying is being looked upon a little bit more carefully and the new rules and regulations and guidelines are getting released,” says Mr Tainwala.
塔因瓦拉表示：“人们在购买时变得更谨慎了，而新的规定、监管措施和指导方针还在不断出台。”But he adds that recently there are “indications that some of the airlines and banks which operate redemption schemes are already getting started” again.
但他补充说，最近有“迹象显示，一些航空公司和银行又开始在做积分兑换活动”。