On 2011February 13, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China jointly issued the Notice on Strictly Controlling the Holding of International Conferences in China. The circular requires that the total number of international conferences held in China be strictly controlled; International conferences with the same or similar themes shall not be held at the same time or in a short time; Strictly control the scale of the meeting; It is not allowed to promise to provide any free services without authorization ... The provisions of the Notice on international conferences in China are almost comprehensive, and each one touches on the acne of current international conferences in China.

Why "strictly control" the holding of international conferences in China? What has become of the international conference that once symbolized that all parts of China are striding towards internationalization in China? Some people in the exhibition industry said: Just as China people can speculate on world housing prices, specifications and prices will go up after many international conferences come to China. Besides, many international conferences held in China have their own mysteries.

"Go to China for a meeting."

"I'm not meeting in China, but on my way to China." This slogan of "obligation" tailored by China netizens for foreign dignitaries and businessmen is bound to be more vivid and vivid in the face of a notice jointly issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on "strictly controlling the holding of international conferences in China". This paper notice also caused the Englishman Angus? Wedge attention.

Angus has been invited by international conferences, large and small, since he served as a reporter for a famous British media in China.

At first, Angus thought that attending these meetings was "not only a waste of time, but also a violation of journalists' professional norms"-the organizers of the meetings will help you with everything from air tickets to accommodation. Although the meeting is often boring, the lunch is very rich, and the afternoon tour is even more intimate. Finally, you will receive an "unexpected surprise" in the envelope. But after a long time, Angus decided to choose one or two invitations from every 10. In fact, Angus's troubles are also a compulsory course for almost every reporter in China and overseas.

For a long time, cities of all sizes seem to be addicted to international conferences except formal international conferences at the national level. Most meetings are directly or indirectly hosted by local governments, and the expenses are paid by the finance. According to statistics, from 2000 to 2009, the number of international conferences hosted by China increased from 83 to 245. Zhou Hao Wen, director of Malaysian Star Beijing Branch, told reporters that during his four years in Beijing, he has attended more than 20 international conferences, and as for the invitations received, there are countless more.

Of course, it takes two hands to make a sound. China people love meetings, and many foreign celebrities and politicians are really happy to come to China.

"With the increasing economic strength of China, China's influence in the world is not what it used to be. Great changes have taken place in the economic and political layout of the eastern and western hemispheres, and many foreigners are becoming more and more interested in China. Of course, the starting point of interests is mostly pure economic interests. " According to Chen Zeyan, vice president of China Convention and Exhibition Economic Research Association, since China has shown the vitality of participating in the world in various fields, the reason why most foreigners like to come to China for meetings may lie in discovering business opportunities, especially in the fields of nuclear power, grain and oil, and even light industry. Generally speaking, the more professional a meeting is, the more attractive it will be to the participants.

"In fact, pragmatic international conferences such as the corn industry conference, the earthquake conference, the mathematician conference, and the biopharmaceutical conference are probably not within the scope of suspension by the two ministries." In Chen Zeyan's eyes, international conferences can be divided into two categories. One is the international conference initiated by the International Conference Organization (ICCA) and applied by all countries, which is completely market-oriented and does not occupy financial allocation; The other is an international conference that is completely dominated by the government, consumes financial allocations and pays high appearance fees to invite foreign experts to discuss relatively vague topics such as the so-called "economic situation". Strictly speaking, the latter cannot be called an international conference. In China, it has a more appropriate name: official international conference. It is these official international conferences that the two ministries issued detailed rules to stop.

"official meeting"

"Since it is an international conference, you must first have a foreign face and pay for it; There must be some internationally influential media, so please pay. Money is not a problem, as long as the face looks good. " In recent years, government-run international conferences have "triumphed" all over the country, with increasing scale, higher grade and more and more amazing ostentation and extravagance.

Although the consumption level is different, the specific cost of each meeting can't be calculated, and the government hasn't announced how much China spends on international conferences every year, the information revealed by a single international conference can give us a glimpse. "There are two cities in the north vying for the right to host international conferences. They have already pulled out tens of millions before opening, and the real cost of operating it can be imagined. " In an interview with reporters, Chen Zeyan admitted that in recent years, there have been voices calling on China to stop international conferences, but it has become increasingly chaotic. In the final analysis, it is a matter of interest. At present, the expenditure of international conferences has become a major financial burden for the government.

When keywords such as "the first session", "the largest scale", "the highest specification" and "the largest number of people" frequently appear in the reports of local officials, the transformation from international conferences to government-run conferences is quietly completed.

"In the international exhibition industry, China has basically become synonymous with free." Some insiders told reporters that in many international conferences held in China, foreign guests can enjoy the following benefits: first class, five-star accommodation, big meals, high appearance fees, high-standard travel, sightseeing, and so on. A few years ago, the dialogue between Chinese and foreign mayors in a CCTV program also provided a very vivid footnote for "free" At the end of the program, the host invited a foreign mayor to visit China. The mayor said that the budget of that year had been spent and there was no money to come to China. At this time, the Chinese mayor quickly responded: "No problem, you come and we will solve the expenses." In contrast, in recent years, almost every pore of many official international conferences in China has been permeated with this kind of heroic spirit of spending money like water with deep pockets.

The aforementioned insiders pointed out that ICCA, which has always been famous for organizing formal international conferences, has also become accustomed to a problem in China. "Davos is a good example. Let alone the value of Davos itself in summer. The key is to double the asking price in China. " This statement was corroborated by Wang Nan, a former reporter from the International Department of People's Daily. Wang Nan, who has attended dozens of international conferences in more than a dozen countries, said that conferences like Davos have gone downhill in the west, but in China, the cost of participation is very high. Generally, it costs 30,000 to buy a participation index. "This has become a disguised form of money."

Do you want political achievements or market development?

In fact, from the market point of view, a conference may become a profitable business, which is the key to why "conference economy" and "conference industry" can flourish in China.

Taking the industry international conference as an example, Chen Zeyan revealed the possible business opportunities of a conference: First, private companies put forward the conference ideas and themes from the decision-making level, and sent invitations to experts and enterprises in the industry respectively. Once the demand arises, participants agree to pay the registration fee, which will form a market; After the decision, the professional organizer is responsible for the implementation, sending information, making websites, contacting, receiving, registering and charging services. The downstream links involve venue layout, equipment, simultaneous interpretation, publicity, post-conference tourism, etc ... Thus, an industrial chain centered on a conference is formed. "Every link can produce benefits, like Geneva, which is the city proposed by the meeting."

While China belongs to the "city funding conference". "The first is state funding, which is problematic from the source. It doesn't hurt if you spend it, and it doesn't matter if you don't have income. Officially holding an international conference is equivalent to spending money to buy a happy and lively one. The loss is inconsistent with the value generated by itself, and the performance requirements are higher than the market rules, which is equal to deviation. " Chen Ze said.

Although there are no specific statistical data, it has become an indisputable fact that international conferences run by the government bring huge waste. "1985 has a version of the national document on international conferences, which was made by the central foreign affairs leading group, and 1995 has two versions. Strictly controlling the holding of international conferences in China, reaffirming the strengthening of foreign affairs discipline and strictly controlling the holding of international conferences in China seem to be very strict, but it seems that these years have not played much role. " Wu Shuo, conference director of China International Science and Technology Conference Center, has been organizing international conferences for 26 years since 1985. He has witnessed with his own eyes how the China international conference has gradually evolved from rigorous and formal to the present "chaos" in recent years. "For so many years, it has been stopped, but just like China's real estate regulation, six articles today and eight articles tomorrow can play much role? The most fundamental thing is that there is an image project and there are interests there. "

Wang Nan believes that there should be more international conferences in a real sense, because this will certainly enhance mutual understanding between China and the world. As for other so-called "international conferences", "we should not only control the number and scale of conferences in form, but also focus on how to improve the content and efficiency of conferences."

Have to tell the secret.

How to complete the transformation of an international conference in China, and what are the hidden rules behind the so-called "official international conference"? To this end, the reporter visited some senior international conference organizers and people in the industry, hoping to get a glimpse of the secrets that have to be told when holding an international conference in China.

Secret 1: sandwiches and gluttony.

"The conference meal is mainly buffet, and a cold meal banquet can be arranged without other welcome banquets." In the notice jointly issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, catering is impressively listed, and the regulations are extremely detailed. In fact, this regulation is aimed at the serious waste in the catering of international conferences in China.

"Catering alone accounts for nearly 50% of the total expenditure of a conference." At this time, Wu, who once went to Australia for a meeting and ate sandwiches for five days, was very emotional. "You are in Beijing, go to any hotel and say I want to eat sandwiches. Does it suit you? " According to the reporter's investigation, at present, the minimum starting price of catering consumption in Beijing International Convention Center and National Convention Center is 100 yuan, and the unified distribution of box lunch is as high as that in 80 yuan. Interestingly, no participant is allowed to take food outside the center. "I want to eat McDonald's, so I won't let you in." As for the tea drinks during the meeting, "in 2000, a cup of tea and coffee was served by one person in 8 yuan, but later it rose to 10 yuan, and now it is the lowest in 30 yuan." On the one hand, it is the organizer's unconscious waste, on the other hand, it is the waste caused by the hotel's compulsion. "But you can't rely on the hotel. These are all corporate behaviors. If it wants to repay the principal and interest, it must set the fee very high. "

Secret 2: 100 people meeting, 2 million budget.

"If the conference expenses are borne by us in full or shared by all the participants, the budget shall be formulated according to the conference standards, and the funds we bear shall be included in the departmental budget management." The circular of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stipulates this.

Without money, no international conference can be organized. International conferences organized by the government must be funded first. According to common sense, it is very important to approve the budget before the meeting. Should be Ding is Ding, Mao is Mao, absolutely can't be vague. But the opposite is true-the budget approval of international conferences is often puzzling. Wu Shuo, he often receives the meeting approval form, a * * *, with more than 100 people, but he asks the government for a budget of nearly 2 million. "A man has twenty thousand dollars, what are you doing?" In Wu's view, there are too many unreliable budget bills. Basically, those named after "development funds/funds" have careers. For example, in an international conference, you apply to buy a large number of fixed assets, such as 10 computers, 10 printers, 2 cameras, and even high-end cars ... "What are the reasons for buying so many fixed assets?" "The meeting should leave photos and materials, and it will be held for the second time."

In fact, according to insiders, the budgets that can be called "international conferences" are basically the same. It is not unusual for a small and medium-sized conference with 1 0,000 people to apply for a budget of 1 0,000-2 million yuan. As long as you can type the word "international", the price will double immediately.

Tip 3: "The front row is best filled with ministers."

The circular of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stipulates: "When holding international conferences or foreign activities, all regions shall not compete to improve the specifications of domestic and foreign representatives and shall not compare with each other."

In Wu's view, for local governments, the benefits of holding international conferences may be various, but the most important thing is the "image project". "What meeting did we have? This is the first time in history, with the largest scale and the largest number of people ... writing articles creates public opinion to attract attention, and this is the biggest benefit. " In some international conferences held in secondary cities, there are even some unruly rules, such as "it is best that all ministers are in the front row, or all governors are present." The bigger the official, the better, and the higher the grade. "

Secret 4: Every link may lead to corruption.

The notice of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stipulates: "Strictly control the level of conference accommodation. According to international practice, no articles for daily use, no conference souvenirs, no gifts, no public funds for sightseeing, etc."

In the exhibition industry, the existence of conference present is a reasonable phenomenon, and the commemorative significance of gifts should be higher than its monetary significance. However, the fact is that most government-run international conferences only focus on the price of gifts. According to informed sources, digital products such as digital cameras, Apple mobile phones and even laptops will be presented as souvenirs at some conferences. "In fact, some people who organize meetings simply want to buy a computer and don't want to spend money, or just to please the leaders and simply lend flowers to the Buddha." As for the conference, there are more secrets hidden behind it: First of all, most local governments cannot independently complete the preparatory work for an international conference, and they need to entrust private conference organization companies to collect fees, so the problems will come out of these companies. First, they have a lot of government background, making profits from big trees, and public funds fall into private pockets. More seriously, they may even involve holding meetings for the purpose of money laundering.

Another link is that hotels are prone to corruption. First of all, hotels in some cities have their own government background. Although its construction cost is extremely high, it is difficult to return the cost, but the government can enjoy the ultra-low preferential price of the hotel. For example, a room with a market price of 1.888 yuan can enjoy even lower discounts in 800 yuan if it is installed by the government. However, in the budget application form, the original price of the hotel is still filled in, and whose pocket the difference will eventually fall into is another mystery ... As for the sponsor bidding in the conference organization process, it has become a hotbed of corruption.

"Please pay the appearance fee. Many people think it is not easy to get it, but in fact, some people are willing to make this money. If they meet people who are sure of China's money and make good money, they will really hit it off. " It's true. Former US President Bill Clinton's two trips to China were highly sought after, earning nearly one million dollars in succession. Former British Prime Minister Blair's speech in Dongguan exceeded Clinton's appearance fee, setting a new record. Economist Krugman and the world's first CEO Welch also took millions of dollars from China respectively ... But no one can guarantee that there is nothing fishy about how the "appearance fee" came out and how it was divided.

All the way down, almost every link is enough to leave opportunities for corruption. It is not surprising that some governments or institutions are keen to invite foreign dignitaries or celebrities to be agents of politicians or celebrities in China and collect commissions from them.

It is precisely because we have seen so many "secrets" in some "international conferences" that the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly issued a notice requesting that international conferences be held in China. Liu Shangxi, deputy director of the Institute of Fiscal Science of the Ministry of Finance, explained that in recent years, there have been more and more international conferences held in China. Many meetings don't budget in advance. Some departments can be open at any time. If you don't have enough money halfway, report to the Ministry of Finance for money. Asking for money during a meeting can happen. However, many international conferences don't have much substance, they are just a signboard, or they are purely out of some need. How many international conferences are held in China every year? We don't have statistics here. However, meetings held by various localities and departments can be described as one after another. This has brought pressure to all levels of finance. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly control the holding of international conferences in China and the government's paying for some so-called "international conferences".

Chart 2

"Why does the whole world envy China for hosting the conference? 》

Yesterday, I met a friend who came back from Australia. She said that Australia gave its life to host the G20 summit. Because Australian foreign officials publicly complained in Beijing before the meeting that APEC in Beijing was too successful, which embarrassed them; Because their G20 summit was actually held after APEC in Beijing, it was quite difficult for them to hold G20 summit. He said, "What a magnificent, harmonious and warm APEC you have hosted ..."; And this APEC was originally invented by Australians. However, since the first APEC was held in Australia, there have been some dissatisfied people marching almost every time; And some troublemakers. Many times, meetings are held in order not to affect people's lives and cause public dissatisfaction; Are held quietly in remote areas. But you can hide from the masses, but not from the media. But look at you in Beijing, how well you have done. "This Australian diplomat admits that he has worked in the Australian Foreign Ministry for many years, and for the first time he saw someone spontaneously holding a light stick to welcome the heads of state attending the meeting; Singing and dancing. If they are in Australia, they will be rewarded for not throwing eggs. He also said that it is unprecedented to set off such beautiful fireworks for the summit; As for the unique ceremony and hardware, the Australian diplomat is envious.

Yes! If there is no APEC meeting in Beijing, Brisbane is also a city to be proud of; Because Brisbane has never been so excited since the 1988 World Expo was held here. The city has been preparing for the G20 summit for more than two years. However, during the APEC meeting in Beijing, the city was depressed; "People spontaneously welcomed the participating heads of state with glow sticks, singing and dancing. It is unprecedented to set off such beautiful fireworks for the summit; How can we open this G20 summit well? " ?

You know, two such high-level meetings are so close apart that it is easy for people to naturally associate them together; We have seen that during APEC, Beijing stopped working, stopped driving and suspended classes; APEC is highly unified in the whole society, so this meeting is "grand, harmonious and warm". So happy Australians are timid, because their G20 meeting can easily be compared with APEC in Beijing. In this way, Australia will have a shadow.

We know that when any capitalist country holds any "important world-class conference", some people will take the opportunity to protest and demonstrate; Of course, some people will seize the opportunity to make trouble. Whether it is protesting against unfair employment, ineffective response to climate change, capitalist corruption, oppression of indigenous survival, or protesting against Putin and even China; This is all a manifestation of freedom. It is precisely because of this that leaders and journalists meeting in Australia can't see primary school students holding national flags to welcome them; There are only one protest organization after another. Because the Australian government can neither keep them silent nor make them realize that "G20 summit is a big event"; For these protest organizations with a strong sense of existence, the Australian police even said that they "understand and support everyone's right to express freely". It is precisely because of this that people feel harmonious during APEC in Beijing; In Brisbane, the city government encourages citizens to travel during the summit and stipulates that travelers can get 200 Australian dollars (about 1000 RMB); But so far, not half of the citizens are willing to take this award. As a result, citizens' lives and travel have been greatly affected, and complaints have also been heard. "In the future, heads of state please go to a desert island for a meeting"; This is the voice of the free people.

We know that no international conference is profitable, so Australia also allocated 360 million Australian dollars (about 654.38+09 billion yuan) for this G20 summit. Among them, 654.38+0.4 billion yuan was used for venue expansion and 654.38+0 billion yuan was used for security. Of course, foreign media may not be synchronized with the government; When the media dug up various "huge" contracts of the federal government, the opposition party and the people were angry that the government spent 36,000 Australian dollars (about RMB 6,543.8+0.9 million) just to extend a conference table. Because of this, Prime Minister Abbott changed the plan of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd; By renting the limousine of the leader instead of buying it, the company cut 8 million Australian dollars, and cancelled the hotel renovation plan, allowing the leader to live in an ordinary five-star hotel. Therefore, Australian officials lamented that "as the host country of the most influential economic summit in the world, it is difficult for us to reduce costs and provide world-class activities".

However, we don't have so much embarrassment in running APEC, because under the unprecedented frugality and anti-corruption campaign in the country, we still spent more than 654.38 billion US dollars; Including building a meeting place, 26 scenic spots and a shopping village, as well as an artificial river and highway in Yanqi Lake. At the same time, there are no different voices in our whole society. Everyone is in high spirits and still welcomes guests from all over the world with joy. Any guest can feel at home. It is precisely because of this that Australian officials lamented that' fortunately, the Sydney Olympic Games (2000) was earlier than the Beijing Olympic Games (2008)'; Because after Beijing held the Olympic Games so high, big and high, the rest of the world didn't know what to do. And since then, the enthusiasm of countries around the world for the Olympic Games has also dropped significantly. Because of this, after Beijing hosted this APEC, other host countries did not know what to do in the future. More importantly, Australia actively suggested that the G20 summit be given to China, because only China can give a unique meeting.