Gift ban applies to festivals: official

Ministry of Agriculture urges the cancellation of some celebrations

Local governments are not allowed to send various gifts, including fruit and vegetables, to the Ministry of Agriculture on New Year's Day or during Spring Festival, an official from the country's top anti-corruption watchdog said on Friday.

The ministry also urged affiliated departments to cancel various celebrations and banquets during the holidays to save on public spending, said Zhu Baocheng, head of the ministry's inspection team sent from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China.