Honesty and emergencies

The joint appeal by the general offices of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council for transparency in administration is an attempt to show our bureaucratic establishments the way out of a deepening credibility distress.

And they should take it, as it is the only way out. The Internet has provided a handy platform for ordinary citizens to air their concerns about the conduct of public servants and institutions, and the days when public servants could act arbitrarily, declaring it to be for the public good, are gone.

Public opinions aired online may not be 100 percent representative. But they can be powerful catalysts in the formulation of negative perceptions of our public powers.