Transparency works

This earthquake took place less than two weeks after China's regulations on disclosure of government information took effect on May 1. How well the general public got informed of the disaster became a measure of how the regulations had their effect on governments at all levels.

To our great comfort, all the government departments involved have done an excellent job. The China Earthquake Administration (CEA) released the news 18 minutes after the quake shook Wenchuan county and the tremor was felt by people in many other parts of the country.

CEA released more news about the quake and followed it up with news about People's Liberation Army Headquarters of the General Staff sending people to get detailed information an hour later. And only two minutes later, there came the news about President Hu Jintao's instructions for all-out efforts to rescue the injured and about Premier Wen Jiabao being on his way to where the quake took place.