Important communication

Getting to know the real concerns of residents and making policies accordingly has been considered essential for good government and honest and capable leaders since ancient China.

It is still so. But today, if anything, leaders also need to let the public know what they are doing about the problems that negatively affect residents' quality of life.

What Premier Wen Jiabao did on Sunday - communicating with Internet users online for more than two hours - sets a good example for leaders at all levels. Such a pro-active attitude to learning about the real problems facing residents makes a big difference to the quality of governance and the future of this country.