A Chinese lawmaker has proposed to hold people who use public funds on lavish banquets legally accountable so as to curb the widespread practice.

Zhao Linzhong, deputy to the National People's Congress, the top legislature, was quoted by Sunday's Workers' Daily as saying that social engagements in which dining and drinking is a must seriously undermined the work style of the government and social morals.

Zhao, also board chairman of Furun Holding Group Co. Ltd. in east Zhejiang Province, said some government officials and entrepreneurs had their health and work affected by excessive dining and wining and their health and work.

It is a common practice for Chinese to have banquets or drinking parties when treating important guests, on major occasions and during festivals. Some Chinese have taken advantage of drinking and wining opportunities to seal business deals or seek political favors.

A modest reception could make visitors think that they are not important to the host.

Zhao blamed the social tradition as part of the reason, but added that the lack of supervision and legal loopholes had made the practice continue to prevail.

China has no laws governing the excessive drinking and wining at public expenses.

In October, Fu Pinghong, head of a hospital at Gaoting township in east Zhejiang Province, was sentenced to 11 years in prison on corruption and bribery charges. He had allegedly spent 440,000 yuan (64,433 U.S. dollars) of public funds on drinking, wining and entertaining guests.

Zhao believed that lavishing public funds equalized to embezzlement of state assets and laws should be amended to add the criminal offence of extravagant and wasteful spending.

Laws should be established to regulate banquets at public expenses and the local governments' budgets on banquets should be approved by legislatures, he said.

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