A PHOTO showing a 6-year-old boy working as courier in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, went viral on social media after a customer posted photos of him working. Thepaper.cn commented on Wednesday:

According to local media, which followed up the story, the boy has lived with his uncle, who works as a courier, for three years since his mother disappeared one day after committing him to his uncle's care and his terminally ill father went to look for her.

His uncle said the boy is thoughtful and independent and volunteered to give him a helping hand in his work.

It is praiseworthy that the local government in Qingdao has taken immediate action, offering to send the boy to a local orphanage where he will obtain a local hukou, or household residential registration, and receive education.

But the government and public security department in the boy's hometown of Rizhao should not sit idle, as they are obliged to help the boy to look for his missing father and mother, who are the natural guardians of their son.

Also, the child's personal will must be taken into account. His uncle has been taking good care of him and the boy said he lives happily with his uncle.

A rational option is the governments in Rizhao and Qingdao should provide the boy with necessary life allowance and education and he lives with his uncle. If either of his parents is found then his circumstance can be reconsidered.