(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-26 20:00

BEIJING - China's unprecedented transparency in the publication of information since the massive May 12 earthquake in Sichuan Province has drawn positive response from domestic and international observers.

The openness, however, is not a "forced reaction" in the run up to the August Olympics as some overseas comments suggested. Rather, it is a natural outcome of and consistent with China's ever-deepening reform and opening-up drive.

Ideological emancipation in China started with the initiation of the reform and opening-up policy three decades ago. Since then, the country has gradually taken a more open attitude towards the outside world and the flow of information, including negative news, has become freer.

That trend has become more evident in the past few years. The process has accelerated markedly since the 2003 SARS outbreak, when an initial cover-up of the disease led to the sacking of the health minister and the Beijing mayor.

From then on, the notion of protecting "people's right to know" began to take root in the governing ideology of the Chinese authorities.

Last October, the concept of "protecting people's right to know, participate, express themselves and scrutinize the government" found its way into the report of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

On May 1, the Provisions on the Disclosure of Government Information took effect. This designed to "improve transparency and protect the right to know and public scrutiny of official acts".

Meanwhile, the authorities have resorted to the information technology in an effort to promote the flow of information. In 2006, the central government's official website, www.gov.cn, was launched. Since November, nationwide, more than 80 percent of local governments above the county level had set up their own official websites.

At present, nearly all departments of the CPC, State Council ministries and provincial-level governments have established a spokesperson system. Last year, the CPC's "mysterious" discipline watchdog, the Central Committee for Discipline Inspection, opened for the first time to foreign and domestic journalists.

The country has also been improving the work environment for domestic and foreign journalists and easing restrictions.

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