Preferential treatment is a blight on local business environments

HUANG MING, PRESIDENT OF HIMIN GROUP, a manufacturer of solar energy water heaters in the prefecture-level city of Dezhou, East China's Shandong province, posted an open letter on the internet last week, complaining bitterly that the Dezhou Party chief Chen Yong's malfeasance had caused great difficulties for his business. Beijing News comments:

The Dezhou authorities replied immediately that Huang has communicated with local officials face to face, and the "historical problems" reflected in his letter will be studied carefully and resolved.

But if Huang intends to disclose the disciplinary problems and graft of the local Party chief, the Dezhou authorities are not the right receivers of his complaints, he should be delivering them to the provincial or higher level supervisors.