Although, beginning this week, daily reports on the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) will no longer be a regular feature of Chinese TV programming, few people think that China will slow opening itself much wider to the outside world.

The decision to discontinue the daily SARS reports comes on the heels of the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision to lift the travel advisory on Beijing and remove the city from its list of SARS-affected areas.

The WHO's decision is an indication of China's future as a more transparent country: the Chinese government made remarkable achievements in the fight against SARS.

The WHO said the Chinese government had pledged better health care for its people and shared timely and transparent information on SARS.

In fact, the country's political transparency is highly significant given that the opening-up process is taking place in agreater variety of areas.

For example, Shanghai, the pioneer of China's reform and opening up drive, introduced an unprecedented "spokesperson system" in its local government, legislature, courts and prosecutor's office early this month.

Almost simultaneously, similar systems were established in the inland central province of Henan and in the eastern coastal province of Shandong.

More surprisingly, the Chinese government demonstrated transparency in informing the press of a submarine accident in May which claimed the lives of 70 Chinese sailors. In the past, this type of incident would definitely not have been reported.

At the time, the foreign media noted that the announcement of the accident was unusual, given that the Chinese government has rarely acknowledged this type of military accident in the past.

Observers here say that efforts such as these to improve China's transparency are by no means accidental. China's new leadership has taken many effective steps to continue expanding its opening-up drive.

The official media's coverage of last year's 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and this year's 10th National People's Congress drew even more attention from homeand abroad.

During this year, China's mainstream media have devoted extraordinary coverage to incidents such as the earthquake in northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the bombings at Qinghua University and Beijing University and the hostage case in Reuters' Beijing branch.

The timeliness and responsiveness of the media were unprecedented, news critics said.

"This is not only a question of information release and communication, but a signal that China will open more widely to the outside world," said Yu Guoming, professor of journalism at the Beijing-based People's University of China.

Given China's 5,000 year history as an agricultural society, China has a long tradition of secrecy that prevents ordinary citizens from gaining a clear understanding of how their government is run.

However, China's legendary secrecy began to dissolve in 1978, when the country launched its reform and opening-up drive. China'sintegration into the international community was consolidated 2001when it joined the World Trade Organization after years of negotiations.

Since then, the country's opening-up has been greatly accelerated, and transparency is being extended to foreign residents, as well.

Since last year, foreigners in China have served as neighborhood committee members, been invited to observe local legislative sessions and cited as "model workers".

China boasts a large variety of books on sale in its numerous bookstores and ordinary citizens can file complaints and suggestions to their local government institutions via written correspondence, the telephone, the Internet or face-to-face meetings.

Live TV broadcasts of the appointments and removals of officials, commonly seen in Western countries, have been introduced in the central province of Hunan, the birthplace of thelate Chairman Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China.

Observers say the changes can be attributed to China's rapid economic development, its skillful government and its improved judicial system.

They say China's progress in the area of transparency is irreversible and that the country will be increasingly open in the future.

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2003)

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2003)