When a major public health crisis occurs, the first thing a government should do is to alert the people and do whatever it can to protect them. Regrettably, municipal authorities across the border seem to do things differently. Whenever anything goes wrong on the mainland, a cover-up appears to be the first step to take. The practice defies the norm well recognised by governments elsewhere, which puts public safety ahead of their own political interests.

Outrage and condemnation are to be expected after the Shanxi government took almost a week to reveal a toxic chemical spill that had contaminated drinking water for tens of thousands of people in the region. The incident came to light only after a city downstream had suspended water supplies, triggering panic buying of bottled water. A propaganda official at first denied any cover-up, saying there was no need to report it as long as the spill had not leaked outside its jurisdiction.

This is not the first time the province's government has sought to keep the public in the dark. Officials came under fire for waiting eight days to confirm that an explosion had killed at least eight workers at a tunnel construction site. The confirmation only came after a torrent of online criticism.