Recent media reports say Qingfeng steamed buns, which became popular after President Xi Jinping enjoyed them in a Qingfeng outlet in Beijing recently, were served for buffet lunch during the annual sessions of the provincial people's congress and people's political consultative conference in Jiangsu province to reduce extravagance. But many people are asking how Qingfeng buns could be available in Jiangsu when the restaurant chain does not have any outlets in the province, says an article in China Youth Daily. Excerpts:

To remove people's doubts, Jiangsu provincial officials have clarified that the buns for the buffet lunch were made by local restaurant cooks but named after Qingfeng.

The popularity of the "president combo" meal, which Xi Jinping had in the Qingfeng outlet in Beijing, shows the value of true leadership for the people. Any enterprise, be it a corporate house or a restaurant chain, prospers on its products and competitiveness. But restaurants like Qingfeng have succeeded also because thrift is the demand of the times.

Jiangsu provincial officials deserve praise precisely because they have embraced austerity, which the country's leadership is promoting to curb extravagance and fight corruption. And given the present rate of growth of the country's fiscal revenue, the Ministry of Finance will further optimize the fiscal structure and control the general expenditure this year.

But despite the need for thrift, the craze for Qingfeng or Qingfeng-style steamed buns has to be checked, because austerity can be practiced in other better ways.

(China Daily 01/24/2014 page9)