Powerful China struggles with transparent government
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Sweden introduced freedom of the press in 1766 and has the world's oldest regulations allowing citizens access to government information. At that time the Chinese government was still lecturing the people about Confucianism. "We can only tell the people what to do; we can't tell them the reason why they should do it," the master said.
On May 1, 2008, the government released a new order on Government Information Disclosure. The order stipulates that officials must release information to citizens as long as the requested information does not relate to matters of national security, trade secrets, or impinge on personal privacy. But little practical has been done. Volunteers in Guangzhou and Shenyang contacted local departments to request information about their expenditure, but all the departments gave excuses like "fiscal issues are too sensitive."
But fiscal issues are not so sensitive in other countries. In Canada, anyone who is willing to pay five Canadian dollars (about 35 yuan) can get budgetary information from government departments. In Hong Kong, the financial department has had its own searchable website since 1997. The data are very easy to access and user-friendly, with illustrations and detailed descriptions. Many countries have given advice on information transparency to the Chinese government, and it is more practical than 2000-year-old quotes from Confucius.
Disclosing the government budget is not just a financial issue, but also a political one. A transparent government is a precondition for fighting corruption. In February, Liu Zhijun, the then minister of railways, was dismissed and placed under investigation for "severe violations of discipline," the language usually used in corruption cases. But if Liu had had to inform the public what his ministry spent money on, and place all the spending in the public domain, he couldn't have become a billionaire so easily.
As it manages the world's second largest economy, the Chinese government is, of course, powerful in many ways. But it needs to use that power to deal with issues that undermine people's confidence in government. In an open society, the citizens have the right to know what the government is doing. And the government has a duty to tell them.
The author is a China researcher for foreign media in Beijing.
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
