China austerity campaign knocks official spending in 2013

SHANGHAI: A campaign against Chinese government excess took major bites out of spending on official meetings, travel and vehicles in 2013, the Communist Party's chief disciplinary body said.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in a statement money spent on meetings, official overseas trips and vehicle purchases fell by about 53 percent, 39 percent and 10 percent respectively from 2012.