China's leaders now have promised to disclose the full casualty figures for disasters that strike the country. These developments seem to have bamboozled the editorial board of Xinhua, which said that "the adjective 'stunning' may be applied if the comparison is made between the present and twenty years ago."

We have every reason to be skeptical, particularly in Hong Kong, where the 2003 SARS outbreak and the policy of silence on the Mainland only served to increase the disquiet in this city. But the way this policy is applied in practice definitely bears watching, particularly given the justifications Xinhua provides for this new policy stance:

These developments have formed an irrevocable trend or growing public participation in government aided by advances in technology.

The government has been increasingly promoting transparency to enhance efficiency and stem corruption.

The people in China, an increasing number of whose daily needs are being met, now exhibit more readiness to care for public affairs.

Modern information technology has greatly facilitated mass communication and reduced the leeway of deciding whether or when certain affairs should be publicized.

After steering China's economic and social development successfully and steadily over the years, it appears the government is now willing and capable of advancing transparency constantly and steadily... Some scholars hold the view that the democratic processes of a country are closely related with its phase of social and economic development and the governance capability of the government.

Obviously, these developments are still at an early stage. But as they say at AA, the first step is to recognize you have a problem...they seem to have diagnosed their travails quite well. Let's see what happens when the rubber meets the road.