Society needs fair call to clear heavy smog - Globaltimes.cn

北京2013 年一月十三日

Global Times is a Chinese newspaper that is often criticized for defending repressive and thin-skinned defensive measures by the government.  But in this editorial = prompted by the horrific reports of hazardous air pollution in Beijing = the paper makes the central demand for change:  information is needed for China and its people to manage the crisis in the environment in China.  The Communist party aspires to be scientific - yet it deprives citizens of the information they need to participate effectively in addressing the problems of society. Critics of the CP and the PRC government itself often assume that one-party government cannot tolerate freedom of information.  I think that is liberal wishful thinking.  And it is unproductive.  What we can say with confidence is that - effective governance is undermined by the policies of secrecy that the Chinese government now pursues.  If the Chinese CP wants to be a stable and effective governing party it must vastly increase the realm of public information.  - GWC
Society needs fair call to clear heavy smog - Globaltimes.cn:

On this issue, the government cannot afford to make decisions for the society. Previously, governments used to deal with the pollution information in a low-key way and made the choice between development and environmental protection for public. However, when public opinion didn't go for this way of thinking, it led to some conflicts. 
In future, the government should publish truthful environmental data to the public. Let society participate in the process of solving the problem. 
The public should understand the importance of development as well as the critical need to safeguard the bottom line of the environmental pollution. The choice between development and environment protection should be made by genuinely democratic methods. 
Currently, Chinese public opinion prefers sensational news. Against such condition, the governments cannot always think about how to intervene to "guide public opinion." It should publish the facts and interests involved, and let the public itself produce a balance based on the foundation of diversification。

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