To release government information in time and make the government work more transparent, China's State Council Information Office (SCIO) published a list of spokespersons of government organs and phone numbers of the relevant government offices in Beijing Tuesday.

The list covers a total of 75 spokespersons from 62 departments of the State Council, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Public Security.

"SCIO will provide information on spokespersons each year beginning from now," said Zhao Qizheng, director of the SCIO, at a press conference held here Tuesday.

As for the rest of the State Council departments that have not yet appointed their spokespersons, including the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of National Defense, SCIO will promote establishment of the spokesperson's system in these departments and make public their names and phone numbers, said Zhao.

Twenty provincial-level governments have adopted a news briefing and spokesperson's system and appointed their spokespersons, including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Hubei, Yunnan, Tibet and Ningxia, according to SCIO.

Since the SARS outbreak in 2003, China has made substantial efforts to increase the transparency of government work. In 2004, SCIO sponsored two national training classes for spokespersons. Meanwhile it has also jointed hands with 14 provinces and autonomous regions to run spokesperson classes attended by more than 2,000 trainees.

Source: Xinhua