Giving the media a greater voice

Yan Xizao China Daily Asia News Network Beijing

Investigations have revealed that almost every major industrial accident in this country in recent years has in some way been connected with corruption.

That sensational claim came on Tuesday from Zhang Baoming, head of the State Administration for Production Safety.

Despite the frequent revelations of corruption in individual accident cases, never before had we heard such a blanket accusation.

The 1-million-plus industrial accidents in 2001 on official record claimed 130,400 lives across China.

Quite a number of the tragedies occurred at private sweat shops where workplace safety is sacrificed for profit.

In many cases the law-breaking proprietors are protected by others in overt disregard of safety laws and the value of human lives, Zhang said.

Those doing the protecting were invariably local officials.

Some of them accepted bribes and colluded with law-breaking entrepreneurs to cover up the facts and interrupt investigations following tragedies.

We have a plethora of decrees governing labour safety at national and local levels. But some greedy bureaucrats have their eyes on either dirty money to line their pockets or boosting local revenues, which helps them ascend the administrative ladder.

We do cherish a general respect and trust for our public servants. While entrusting them with such life and death matters, however, we have a responsibility to ensure mishaps, should they happen at all, are addressed in a timely and responsible manner.

It is inspiring for us press people that Zhang, our top labor safety watchdog, claimed a "deep understanding" of the role of the media and recommended more active media participation in the investigation of major industrial accidents.

Our national leadership has, on different occasions, placed high hopes on the media in the fight against corruption.

Theoretically, the Communist Party of China and the overall State apparatus should have no selfish interests. Their responsibility is the interests of the people.

The government's interests and those of the media overlap in safeguarding public welfare. The media are in this sense an economical and efficient weapon for the government in its crusade against social vices.

The more dynamic and sensitive our media become, the less possible it will be for rule-breakers to find their way around government regulations.