BEIJING, Feb. 2, 2012 -- A newspaper affiliated with China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on Thursday called on the government and society to dispel rumors following a falsified report about nuclear leaks.

The Xinhua Daily Telegraph called for more transparency and openness in political affairs, asking authorities to publish facts in a timely manner when the public raises doubts in order to kill rumors before they can spread.

The commentary came after the Sankei Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, reported during the weeklong national Spring Festival holiday that leakage risks supposedly exist in a nuclear test reactor in suburban Beijing.

Another report, this time in domestic media, during the same period alleged that people in Beijing are required to show identification and register with authorities when purchasing kitchen knives.

The two reports were quickly responded to by the authorities. Wan Gang, head of the China Institute of Atomic Energy, refuted the rumor about the Beijing reactor, saying that the report was "purely fictional" and that the reactor is currently in a shutdown state.

Beijing's police department also denied any new regulation regarding the sale of kitchen knives. Beijing residents are only required to show identification when buying "controlled" knives, which include daggers, knives with three edges and switchblade knives.

The commentary urged authorities to inform the public about rumors by using multiple approaches to target different audiences, as well as encouraged governments at all levels to set an exemplary role by abiding by the law.

The commentary urged the media to take responsibility by strengthening their ability to recognize falsified information and maintaining a "rational attitude" to prevent themselves from becoming rumor disseminators.

Individuals can also play a role in dispelling rumors, the commentary added, urging people to improve their ability to think independently and not spread specious information indiscreetly.