A spokesman system has been introduced in the city of Weihai, in east China's Shandong province, as a move to make government affairs open to public scrutiny.

The spokesman system was firstly applied in the city's public security bureau this February, ensuring more transparency in the bureau's work, said an official with the municipal government.

The spokesmen for the public security bureau now reports to the general public the handling by the police of criminal cases, major road accidents and fires.

The bureau holds news conferences to publicize policies and relevant information which closely impact the local people's lives, said the official.

The spokesman system ensures the citizens' right to information, the official said, and the government will be better supervised because of it.

(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2004)