The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development promised to publish realty registration information for 500 cities, but this has not happened, said an article in Beijing News (excerpts below).

What is wrong? The only explanation lies in the unwillingness of local officials to cooperate.

The officials worry that publishing such information might reveal that some of them own a number of properties.

The best solution to the problem is to adopt an iron hand. Legislation is needed to define such non-cooperation as illegal, while the government also needs to prosecute those responsible for the failure.