Reform requires resolve

THAT AN OPERATIONAL REFORM PLAN FOR government vehicles has finally been announced and deadlines set is surely worth celebration. It is an inspiring first step toward plugging the gigantic loophole that has been a notorious source of waste, corruption, and public discontent.

That it has taken the authorities 20 years to come up with a roadmap covering all imaginable contingencies, however, shows the magnitude of the resistance the reform has faced. The use of special government vehicles has long been a sign of authority and privilege in Chinese officialdom. So all levels of officials have their own ways to get around set rules to secure access to such a privilege.

The purchase, operation and maintenance of government vehicles results in an astronomical expense of public money. Each year, 300 billion yuan ($49 billion) of taxpayers' money is spent on official vehicles, according to a widely quoted estimate.