Officials tested live on TV

The heads of 27 government agencies in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, just finished their annual exams - live on television.

As part of their year-end examinations, the presentations, each lasting 12 minutes, were broadcast live on December 20 and 21 via a local television network, a radio station and a news portal. It was the third consecutive year the city had compelled these officials to do so, but this year was different after still images of nervous faces catapulted it to national attention.

It can be a terrifying experience for most of these chiefs, who are required to stand in front of the city's top leaders, experts and citizen representatives as they explain their achievements during the year. Discussions of controversial policies, such as a city-wide demolition project, added fuel to the online fire that followed the screening.

Images of Zhang Zhenyu, director of the city's financial works office, sweating to the point where the sweat dripped off his face, quickly spread.

The spectacle has triggered debate among the public over whether this bodes well for administrative transparency and efficiency or whether it's just a circus for local residents.

Making the grade

The presentation, which also entails pledges to the public and details of problems encountered during their work, was followed by critical commentary by Chen Derong, secretary of the CPC Wenzhou City Committee, and Chen Jinbiao, the city's mayor.

Local residents can also participate through telephone hotlines and online forums. However, they do not have the chance to directly question officials.

Lin Shengbao, the director of the department in charge of their performance evaluations, told the Global Times that the presentation accounts for 10 percent of their annual grade. "Those who rank in the last few slots will be punished financially, and the head of an agency will probably be demoted if his evaluation is ranked at the bottom for two years in a row."

Chen Derong's comments, which ruthlessly pointed out the weaknesses in the presentation, have garnered the most attention. After Zheng Jianhai, director of the environmental protection bureau, reported the measures to curb pollution in rivers, Chen said that improving water quality on its own is not enough. "The target should be that you voluntarily swim in it," he said.

Li Aiyan, chief of the civil affairs bureau, was also treated relentlessly, after the Party secretary said that some of the projects outlined in her presentation were superficial.

"You look so exhausted that your voice pitch cannot compete with last year," Chen said.

A resident surnamed Zhu, who works as an engineer, said it's good to know exactly what those officials have done, but he grew tired of listening to dull projects and statistics.