Thousands of Chinese officials are going abroad every year for alleged study tours, but documents posted in an Internet bulletin board system show some of them are actually using public funds to be tourists. Their official invitation letters even come with a price tag.

Authorities in eastern China have started an investigation into two government delegations' "business trips" to the United States and Canada after an online poster exposed detailed expense accounts showing they spent a total of nearly 1 million yuan (US$146,470).

The government of Xinyu City in Jiangxi Province has already set up an inquiry into a trip by 12 members of its government to the two countries, one of the two government-funded trips revealed by an online user named Chimeiwangliang2009.

The user, who has already made a splash on many popular Chinese Websites and BBS communities, exposed scanned copies of more than 20 pages of travel contracts signed between the US-based travel agency All Americas Group Co and the Xinyu delegation and a 23-member delegation from the Wenzhou government in Zhejiang Province.

Chimeiwangliang2009, who describes himself as a blue collar worker in the information industry, said he obtained these papers when he happened to pick up a shopping bag while taking a subway on Shanghai's Metro Line 2. He didn't say when he picked up the bag.

He added that he has already sent the papers to Party disciplinary committees in the two cities as he was outraged over the so-called business trips.

According to the pages, the Xinyu delegation spent a total of 356,350 yuan on a 14-day trip from April 15 to 28 that departed from Shanghai.

The trip, which was headed by Liu Qun, deputy director of the Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Xinyu city government, comprised officials from various departments.

The trip was approved under the guise of studying human resources management in the travel industry. But based on the travel itinerary, the trip was for fun, not serious study or research.

The delegation visited popular attractions such as Niagara Falls, Broadway, Times Square, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial.

(Shanghai Daily December 1, 2008)