Chinese junket officials publicly shamed

BEIJING - China's discipline watchdog has named and shamed officials who spent public money on overseas travel, warning others to "learn the lessons" of these misdeeds.

In five separate cases, officials received punishments ranging from warnings to sackings. Their work places included a city education bureau, a college and an insurance company, according to the website of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

In a more severe case, Zheng Cuiqiong , president of No 1 Vocational Technical School of Nanning in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and vice president Tan Hanhuai were dismissed from both their Party and administrative posts. The school was found to have spent a combined 1.54 million yuan ($250,000) on four overseas trips, in the name of training, to destinations including Singapore, Australia and Germany.

Public funds misused in another three cases ranged from 80,000 to 100,000 yuan. The smallest amount was reportedly 7,500 yuan spent on a trip to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea by two quarantine bureau officials from east China's Zhejiang province during an official inspection in Liaoning Province.

"Local departments and units should learn from these cases and take them as a warning... Plans for overseas trips should be strictly reviewed and audited to prevent personal trips on public funds," the online statement said.