New rules released on government transparency

The State Council released transparency regulations on Tuesday, which will give citizens the right to demand more information regarding government policy, state media reported. Signed by Premier Wen Jiabao, the new rules give Chinese people the right to ask for details on government finances and economic plans, statistics, land development, environmental regulations and many other policies. However, strict limits remain on what information can be requested. Officials can withhold material if it is perceived to "harm state security, economic security or social stability". With the growth of China's market economy, citizens are increasingly eager to escape and sometimes directly challenge top-down political controls and further reforms have been promised to accommodate this change in attitude.