We must confess to having mixed feelings about the Ministry of Science and Technology's (MOST) information about its san gong expenses, or expenses to finance overseas trips, vehicles procurement and maintenance, as well as official receptions, in its 2011 budgetary report.

On the one hand, this is a precious step toward greater transparency, even more so because the ministry has been the first of all the central government agencies to share with us any information about those expenses.

Responding to loud calls at the annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference for release of such information, the Ministry of Finance promised to publish the san gong expenses of all central government departments.