Yang Dacai, director of the Shaanxi safety supervision bureau, accepted to do a Weibo interview on Wednesday evening, responding directly to public suspicions about his cavalier attitude at the scene of a traffic accident where he was caught smiling, as well as for his collection of luxury watches. He is the first official under public scrutiny to accept to do a Weibo interview.

Yang deserves applause and encouragement for this decision. In the Weibo era, an official responding to public questions is at least better than refusing to communicate at all. Yang did gain some sympathy from the public through the interview. But the main suspicion he faces, as to how he could afford these very expensive watches, remains. 

It is worth pointing out that public anger and suspicion are not only targeted at Yang. Some people use Yang's case to vent their dissatisfaction against public security and corruption. The public may accept Yang smiling at the traffic accident site after hearing him out. It will be altogether harder for him to convince people that he bought the watches with his legitimate income.

The solution to the problem is either to wait for the public to shift their attention elsewhere or expect disciplinary authorities to investigate.

Since Yang's issue has become one of public concern, it will be a blow to governmental credibility if the authorities do nothing. Disciplinary bodies should decide whether an investigation is warranted. The public should be informed no matter what the choice of the Shaanxi government is. Official communication with the public is necessary since the issue stems from the government's reputation.

Yang's issue once again brings to the fore the vulnerable image of Chinese officials. He traveled far to get to the accident site and direct its aftermath. It can be imagined that he was exhausted, but the camera accidentally caught him smiling. That not only damages his own image but also that of the government.

A good professional image is a must for all officials, while a bad image will be blamed on all of them. Once public opinion singles out one official, it will put strict, even unrealistic, demands on him or her that the official would struggle to satisfy.

Nowadays, the exposure of corruption by the public is happening at random. Every official could be targeted. If officials want absolute security, they should ensure pristine governance. We hope Yang could stand up to the strictest investigation. We also hope that all officials will reflect on Yang's case. Currently, there are many suspicions and questions about clean governance in China and it is up to all of us to solve this problem. 

The article is an editorial published in the Chinese edition of the Global Times Thursday. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn