中國節儉運動波及魚翅和高檔箱包大綱

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.

中國週日發佈《黨政機關國內公務接待管理規定》，禁止工作餐提供魚翅等菜餚，這是厲行節約運動的一部分。繼大閘蟹、月餅和高檔行李箱之後，魚翅這種備受爭議的食材也成爲中國國家主席習近平發起的這場運動的“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.

中國官方通訊社新華社報道，中央政府下達的這項新規定禁止工作餐提供魚翅、燕窩和用野生保護動物製作的菜餚，禁止提供香菸和高檔酒水。

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.

與此同時，已有103年曆史的行李箱製造商新秀麗(Samsonite)表示，受習近平打擊奢侈浪費風氣影響，該公司今年在華銷售增長將出現“一定程度的放緩”。

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.

新秀麗亞洲區總裁拉梅什?塔因瓦拉(Ramesh Tainwala)表示，今年銷售額增長率將下滑至少10個百分點，由去年的逾20%降至12%至15%之間。

“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：“因爲中國政府眼下正在推行的厲行節約運動……官員如今正努力搞清楚……他們該怎麼做。比如說，他們會想，這會不會被視爲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.

自一年前上臺以來，習近平一直在打擊政府官員的過度支出。這項運動波及了方方面面，從鮑魚、大閘蟹等美味食物，到政府工作人員在差旅中的交通方式和住宿規格。

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.

一名經常去南京探親的北京地方官員說，過去她一下飛機就坐上在機場等候的公務車，自從習近平上臺以來，這種待遇就消失了。

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.

爲宣傳這場運動，習近平（或他的宣傳團隊）創造了“四菜一湯”等宣傳語，以敦促官員杜絕過去普遍存在的那種擺滿高檔白酒（近年來則還有高檔紅酒）的公務宴請。

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”.

塔因瓦拉和新秀麗首席執行官蒂姆?帕克(Tim Parker)在一次採訪中強調，中國仍是新秀麗非常重要的市場。帕克表示，他完全可以“設想，再過個三四年左右，新秀麗將首次收購一家中國企業”。

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.

但與此同時，新秀麗必須和其他國際奢侈品牌一樣，應對厲行節約運動下中國的新形勢。塔因瓦拉表示，這場運動衝擊公司業務的方式之一，是影響企業的禮品購買行爲。銀行也減少了積分兌換行李箱等禮品的活動。

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，新秀麗在華對企業銷售情況“很不景氣”。塔因瓦拉表示，航空公司以前往往批量購買行李箱，配發給機組成員，但最近也不這麼做了，因爲航空公司試圖解讀習近平主政下這些新規定傳遞出什麼樣的信息。

“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：“人們在購買時變得更謹慎了，而新的規定、監管措施和指導方針還在不斷出臺。”

But he adds that recently there are “indications that some of the airlines and banks which operate redemption schemes are already getting started” again.

但他補充說，最近有“跡象顯示，一些航空公司和銀行又開始在做積分兌換活動”。