The regulations specify that local governments are to publicize data on land acquisitions, residence relocations and related compensation. Officials are bound to effectuate the release within 20 working days after the relevant information is generated or altered. Administrative organs at all levels are required to compile information directories, which will include the names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of departments and people who are responsible for releasing official information.

The regulations also stipulate the "release on demand" principle, which grants citizens the right to seek through written inquiry information that has not been included in official dissemination. Upon receiving the inquiry, the administrative staff should respond immediately or within 30 days at the latest.

The regulations apply to governments and their departments at all levels.

The regulations say that administrative bodies are prohibited from releasing information that involves "state secrets, confidential commercial information and the privacy of individuals."

It is through such articles that concern "state secrets" and "individual's privacy" that some governments have been given excuses to refuse releasing their information, according to Zhou.

Some administrative organs, especially environmental protection authorities, refuse to disclose important information about pollution by using the excuse of "secrets," leading to disputes between citizens and local governments.

A survey by China Youth Daily last year showed 98.4 percent of citizens agreed with the disclosure of government information, especially information about "property of officials."

However, those officials refuse to disclose their property information using the excuse of "individual's privacy," though the public believes it is their obligation to release the information and that they should be under the supervision of the public.

Inspection in reality

According to the regulations, governments must guarantee the disclosure of information in a timely manner when dealing with emergencies.

On May 12, 2008, a devastating earthquake that measured 8.0 on the Richter scale shocked Wenchuan, a county in southwest China's Sichuan Province. It happened just after the establishment of the regulations and proved to be their earliest test.

Only several minutes after the earthquake, the Chinese Government released information concerning its epicenter, scale and rescue measures to the media at home and abroad.

The transparency attracted the attention of international societies and made relief work more convenient, said Lu Xiwei, Director of the Administrative Review Department of the State Council's Legislative Affairs Office. The regulations played an active role in the relief work.

The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games were a more serious challenge to the regulations. According to data from the organizing committee, more than 25,000 foreign-accredited and non-accredited journalists reported on the games. Many reported on not only the games but also other sensitive areas including politics, environmental protection, human rights and religion.

On December 1, 2006, Premier Wen Jiabao signed the Regulations on Reporting Activities in China by Foreign Journalists during the Beijing Olympic Games and the Preparatory Period, stipulating that "to interview organizations or individuals in China, foreign journalists need only to obtain their prior consent."

In fact, many Chinese people worried that those foreign journalists would make negative reports that would harm China's international image.

"This is an outdated thought. We are not afraid of critics from foreign media," said Liu Binjie, Minister of General Administration of Press and Publication. "We are confident that China has the capability of bearing criticism after 30 years of reform and opening up."