Eloquent figures

First and foremost, let us be thankful. At the very least, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) convened a special briefing to explain itself. That the NBS bothered to respond to people's suspicions is in itself commendable. In a sense, this is no less important than the accuracy of their figures.

At the briefing last Thursday, NBS chief Ma Jiantang promised the bureau would patiently listen to people's questions, and provide answers. That is the only sensible way to improve credibility of the statistics authority.

Some local officials' tendency to manipulate statistical data has resulted in a degree of popular disbelief in government figures. Still, we are convinced that part of the average citizen's doubt about authenticity of official statistics has to do with the technical complexity of the work. To which the country's chief statistician has found a wonderful solution.