Beijing publicized, for the first time, its expenditures for government-funded overseas trips, vehicles and receptions on Thursday amid the mounting public calls for more transparent government expenditures.

The expenditures on the three items, used by party and governmental departments and government-funded institutions, amounted to 1.13 billion yuan (175 million U.S. dollars) in 2010, said Yang Xiaochao, director of the Beijing Finance Bureau, at the 26th Session of the Standing Committee of the 13th Beijing Municipal People's Congress.

The spending included 130 million yuan for overseas trips, 910 million yuan for vehicle purchases and maintenance, and 90 million yuan for receptions, according to Yang.

The statistics will be made public after they are deliberated by the standing committee, he said.

Yuan Yajing, a Beijing citizen who attended the session as a visitor, said it's a progress for the government to disclose its expenditures, and citizens ought to oversee the government's use of taxpayers' money, especially on the three items vulnerable to squander and corruption.

Another visitor at the session, surnamed Xie, said she hopes the government can provide comprehensive and detailed information about the expenditures and make them more understandable for ordinary citizens.

After the session closed, the bureau's spokesman Meng Jingwei made some explanations about the expenditures to reporters.

The State Council, or the cabinet, called on its 98 ministries to publicize their budget and expenditure information on overseas trips, vehicles and receptions by the end of June. However, so far, only more than 40 ministries have made those items public.