From The China Blog – TIME:
The WHO official also cites a problem that seems to be regularly mentioned in this blog: lack of transparency. It’s better to acknowledge the problems exist “even if you have to go through a rough time and admit things were wrong.” Take counterfeit drugs for example. “When they get these accusations, (the government) I know they really investigate them and go for the culprit.” But in one case he is familiar with, the initial response despite successfully identifying the guilty parties was “don’t talk about it. It was like pulling teeth getting it out of them. And this was something they should have come out and said themselves.”
As noted here earlier, the government is deeply conflicted about how to handle the useful but too often peskily independent media. Obviously, if they let Chinese reporters do their job and dig up the details about who is behind the factories manufacturing the poisonous toys/drugs/food etc they’d make a big, big start towards attacking the problem. But then, who knows what else might turn up in the process? Better to stay silent…. [Full Text]
