Chinese officials to release information

China's secretive communist government said Tuesday it has approved rules boosting official transparency but added that state secrets have to be safeguarded and social stability preserved.

The decree signed by Premier Wen Jiabao ordered government bodies to be more open in giving out information, according to the State Council, or Cabinet.

The official Xinhua News Agency called the rules a "milestone" and said they "are likely to become the country's most specific and progressive rules encouraging the publicity of government information when they take effect on May 1, 2008."

The date is a little more than three months ahead of the start of the Summer Olympics in Beijing. China is trying to present a more open image for the Games and has already eased some restrictions on foreign journalists.

The regulations, carried on the government's Web site, say government departments are required to give out information of interest to the public and to explain administrative procedures.

That included "government purchases, budgets and expenses, results of investigations into environmental protection, public health and food and drug safety."

But the regulations also contained a clause saying the release of the information "should not harm state security, public safety, normal economic operations and social stability."

China's communist leaders have been trying for several years to stamp out rampant corruption, which they say could undermine their authority.

Much of the corruption involves illegal land deals, and the rules said that local governments would be required to release information "on land acquisitions, residence relocations and related compensation."

The notice said government departments were reminded to stay clear of "confidential commercial information and an individual's privacy." But they also said local authorities should give out information on rural collective enterprises and on the family situations of residents to ensure the fair enforcement of family planning policy.

China's family planning policy _ implemented in the late 1970s _ limits urban couples to one child and rural families to two to control the population and conserve natural resources.

Control over information remains a key issue for the Communist Party, despite the challenges of the Internet age. It explains why the government has been slow to reveal natural disasters and widespread heath problems.

In particular, China's reluctance to release timely information about the emergence of SARS in late 2002-early 2003 was criticized by health experts for contributing to the disease's spread.

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Chinese government: http://www.gov.cn