The Beijing Forum on Swift Response to Public Complaints is scheduled to take place from December 18 to 19, according to officials from the People's Government of Beijing Municipality at a press briefing on Tuesday.
The forum aims to serve as an international platform for experts to exchange insights, discuss innovative and practical solutions to public service challenges, and share experiences in urban governance.
The People's Government of Beijing Municipality holds a press briefing on the Beijing Forum on Swift Response to Public Complaints in Beijing, China, December 10, 2024. /The People's Government of Beijing Municipality
Senior representatives from the Beijing Municipal Administration of Government Services and Data Management, the Institute of Political Science at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the Beijing Office of China Media Group (CMG) attended the briefing, providing insights into Beijing's urban governance initiatives and outlining the key topics for next week's forum.
Shen Binhua, Director General of the Beijing Municipal Administration of Government Services and Data Management, highlighted Beijing's urban governance challenges. He explained that to address the issues of large city governance, Beijing – home to over 20 million residents, more than double the population of New York – introduced the innovative "Swift Response to Public Complaints" initiative in 2019. This initiative aims to quickly respond to the needs and demands of residents and efficiently resolve daily life problems.
Official data shows that since its inception, over 150 million appeals have been processed, with resolution and satisfaction rates of 96.5 percent and 96.9 percent, respectively. The initiative has integrated more than sixty hotline services into a unified hotline number – 12345. The hotline operates 24/7, with over 1,700 operators working shifts to answer calls and process requests, addressing nearly every aspect of urban life, including business services, senior and child care, healthcare, education and transportation.
According to Shen, leading global academics and prominent individuals with practical experience will attend next week's forum to share their insights and explore solutions for modernizing urban governance.
The forum will feature an opening ceremony, a main forum, six parallel sub-forums and a closing ceremony. During the main forum, key findings will be unveiled, including theoretical research on urban governance, exemplary urban governance cases, and a global evaluation report on urban hotline services and governance efficiency. The six parallel sub-forums will focus on topics such as digitalizing urban governance, integrated urban services and citizen participation, metropolitan development, and regional coordination.
The forum will also include Beijing residents and international friends living in China, who will share their personal experiences.
Wang Xiaojie, Party Secretary of CMG's Beijing office, said that CMG will provide comprehensive coverage of the forum, including the release of a documentary showcasing how Beijing tackles urban challenges and exemplifies China's "people-centered urban governance" philosophy.
The permanent theme of the forum is "People's City, Better Future," and this year's special theme is "Modernizing for People-Centered Urban Governance." The forum was held in Beijing in 2021 and 2022.