Local residents welcomed the move, said an official in charge of the program, who declined to be named.

Some residents had demanded that more information, such as the income of government employees, be made public, but the official said that: "We have disclosed as much as possible in accordance with existing rules."

Most Chinese cities, including the province-level municipalities of Beijing and Shanghai, have yet to follow Shenzhen's example.

In December 2009, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in a circular ordered all local governments to gradually make employee information available.

"Shenzhen's move is an important step toward building transparent government," said Wang Yongcheng, a professor of Chinese politics with Shenzhen University.

"The information already released doesn't involve the government employees' privacy, so it is allowed to publish this information online," he added.