More straightforward information releases and a more publicly accessible communication process will help the government forge closer ties with citizens.

Official spokespersons will also help the overseas audience understand China's views and policies, now that the nation is assuming more responsibility in global politics and business.

China's accession to the WTO and increasing integration with the world market have blurred the boundary between its domestic and international priorities.

Indeed, sometimes a development strategy implemented in Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou or Tianjin can affect the global performance of a major international corporation or impact the market in distant lands.

One of the changes that took place in China in 2003 was more frequent press briefings by officials. This was because a growing number of government agencies adopted the spokesperson's role more properly. They will be joined by more agencies this year, as the SCIO, a cabinet office specializing in information service, will see to it.

In fact, public information proved to be an indispensable service for the nation in facing up to the public health crisis last spring. As co-ordinator of China's battle against the SARS epidemic, the government showed both courage and effectiveness in correcting the initial statistical confusions, in giving daily reports of the incidence and its breakdowns, and in securing international help for China.

In their own way, President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao, Vice-Premier and Minister of Health Wu Yi and Beijing's Acting Mayor Wang Qishan set outstanding examples as spokespersons during inspection trips, while delivering speeches to international conferences and in meetings with the press. In the meantime, the Ministry of Health and the municipal governments of Beijing and Guangzhou empowered their chief officials to act as spokespersons.

The nation could not have overcome the threat of SARS without such an open public information system.

However, a good government information system is not just useful in times of crisis. It was from this valuable lesson that many government offices have drawn confidence and experience to install spokespersons.

The SCIO has designed training courses for industrial and regional information officers while sponsoring frequent (although Minister Zhao said "still not frequent enough'') policy briefings by ministerial level officials.

Since the success in combating SARS, candour has been consistent in the official approach to such undesirable occurrences as workplace hazards and natural disasters. Some of them involved many tragic deaths, but reporting them did not dishearten society or fuel distrust between the government and citizens.

On the contrary, those reports helped strengthen the bonds between government and the citizenry and gave comfort and support to the victims and their families by showing how closely the rest of the nation stood by them.

(China Daily)