A clean government

Throughout the cyberspace and beyond, we are hearing loud repercussions to the newly re-elected President Hu Jintao's call for State functionaries to be "sincere and earnest" in receiving people's supervision and "spotlessly clean" in their service for the country and the public.

We cannot be more familiar with similar appeals and pledges. For quite a while, an honest, upright, and clean government has been what we covet, as well as what the authorities pledge to deliver.

Hu's words created a buzz this time because they were at the same time a promise he made to the national legislature and the broad public, on behalf of the new national leadership the National People's Congress has just elected or appointed. In a culture where political leaders generally avoid getting personal, a promise like this suffices to make a sensation.