THE ECONOMIC OBSERVER
ECONOMICS | NATION | MARKET | CORPORATION | BRIEFS | SPECIAL
follow us:
           
site: HOME > > Economic > China Buzz > Media Review
Commentary Wrap: Water Quality and Presumptuous Officials

 
Water Quality and Fabricated Data
By Qi Yue (启越)
Nation, Page 15
Issue 569, May 14, 2012
Translated by Tang Xiangyang
Original article:
[Chinese]
Reliable sources close to government departments have said that only half of running water samples across the country meets the standards, but this has been denied by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD).
This denial has fuelled more public doubt. The ministry conducted a nationwide survey on water quality in the second half of 2009, but the results weren’t published until very recently, when   pressure was intense from the public and media. They showed that only 58 percent of water met the required standard.
The justification that the ministry gave for taking so long to publish the data was that quality reached 83 percent in 2011. However, the public believes that if data can be concealed, they can also be fabricated.

 
The Presumptuous Local Government Managing Farmers Compensation Funds
By Anonymous
Nation, Page 16
Issue 568, May 7, 2012
Translated by Tang Xiangyang
Original article:
[Chinese]
Chunjiang, a small town in Jiangsu Province, got nationwide attention because its local government made a proposal to manage the compensation funds that more than 2,000 residents received when their houses were demolished. The government promised to provide an interest twice that of the banks if the villagers entrusted them with their funds.

The author of the commentary, an anonymous media worker, made three points: Firstly, the local government has no right to manage villagers’ compensation of demolition. Secondly, it was illegal for the government to finance the farmers interest payments out of its own financial revenue. Last and not least, the policy is based on the assumption that farmers don’t know how to manage their own assets and so demonstrated the government’s sense of intellectual superiority over the farmers.

Qiaojia Explosion Case -
Beijing News
The public has questioned the details of a suicide bombing incident in Qiaojia, Yunnan. It shows that officials’ credibility can be low when major news breaks.
Perhaps some local governments lack sincerity, and don’t even want to tell the public the truth. The problem might be the failure to gain the public’s trust.

 
Passport Being Rejected - Zhujiang Evening News
Passport applications from young women are being rejected in one area of Yunnan province. This is a violation of citizen’s rights, and an insult to local women’s dignity. Trying to restrict local women’s freedom of movement won’t stop people from going abroad to become prostitutes or save the image of the country.

0 comments

Comments(The views posted belong to the commentator, not representative of the EO)

username: Quick log-in

About China Buzz

The Economic Observer's editorial staff are always on the look out for interesting, fresh and high-quality China-related content. Whether it's the latest buzz on Weibo, links to insightful articles or updates on the latest books and reports, through China Buzz we'll keep you in the loop about what's going on in the world of Chinese politics and economics.

Most popular

this week
this month

Categories

E-mail subscription

Enter your e-mail address to subscribe to China Buzz and receive notifications of new posts through e-mail.