Bonfire of the freebies: China officials forgo free fruit and haircuts in Xi austerity drive

For China’s Communists, the party is finally over.

No free fruit or free haircuts and prawns and sea cucumbers are off the menu as the Communist party congress, set to usher in a second five-year term for president Xi Jinping, promises to be an austere affair.

In a break with previous years, officials attending the meeting will not be welcomed by large banners and extravagant flower arrangements, according to Wang Lilian, who managed delegate hospitality for the three previous party congresses.

“There won’t be any more fruit put out in rooms, whereas previously there were for delegates and staff. There’s none of that this time,” he told state radio.

“There’s no sea cucumber, prawns or anything like that. It’s all buffet style,” he added, promising simple home-style cooking.

This year’s party congress, held twice a decade, will open on Wednesday and see a reshuffle at the highest levels of power in China. Since Xi came to power at the last meeting in 2012, he has worked to rein in the excesses of government officials and launched a far reaching anti-corruption campaign that has punished more than 1.3m party members.

China’s propaganda machine has worked fastidiously to portray Xi as a man of the people, often reporting on the simple meals he eats while on trips around the country. A surprise visit by Xi in 2013 to a Beijing steamed bun restaurant celebrated for its cheap prices was widely seen as an attempt to cement his frugal credentials and send a signal to officials to temper their taste for expensive banquets.

The party congress will open with Xi delivering a major policy speech, and the meeting is largely about securing his grip on power.

The roughly 2,300 delegates will also be forced to forgo complimentary facials, haircuts and tailoring services. Gift shops set up to sell souvenirs to those travelling from across the country will also be absent.

“We will strictly not have any of these services this time,” Wang said.

But inconveniences are not limited to the party faithful, and a host of activities have been banned in the Chinese capital for the week-long congress.

Airbnb cancelled all rentals for the second half of October within a 20km radius of downtown Beijing.

“Due to external circumstances, homes in certain areas in Beijing are unavailable through October 31,” the company wrote in an e-mail to hosts.

Even hotels in cities thousands of kilometres from Beijing cancelled reservations for foreigners. Police have stepped up random ID checks in the Beijing subway, looking to snare any wanted criminals or illegal workers.

Another bizarre requirement is a halt in all home renovations and sales of knives and scissors have also been temporarily banned. Flying model airplanes and drones have also been banned for a 200km wide blanket, according to the Financial Times, spilling into neighbouring provinces.