On the morning of May 7, 34 journalists from 29 Latin American and Arab countries visited the Beijing Government Service Center and the Beijing Citizen Hotline Service Center. Through guided field trips, interactive experiences and other means, they gained an in-depth understanding of Beijing's innovative practices in government services and felt the pulse of the city's effective urban governance.
Journalists from foreign media agencies at the Beijing Government Service Center
At the Beijing Government Service Center, staff members provided a detailed presentation on the comprehensive window service modes, the self-service machines, the mechanism of extended service hours, and the functioning of the Beijing Loan Service Center to the participating journalists. The journalists said that the presentation offered them a direct understanding of Beijing's government services.
The participating foreign journalists learn about the working mechanism of the "Swift Response to Public Complaints" initiative.
At the Beijing Citizen Hotline Service Center, the journalists got to know the functioning of the 12345 Citizen Service Hotline and the development of the "Swift Response to Public Complaints" initiative. According to the introductions by the center's staff, Beijing's 12345 Citizen Service Hotline, the principal channel and platform for the "Swift Response to Public Complaints" initiative, utilizes big data to analyze and detect potential risks within the city and has been exploring a new mode of "Preemptive Problem-Solving Before Complaints". Through the AI-powered simultaneous interpretation technology, foreign correspondents learned more about the processing of citizens' complaints by operators in real-life scenarios. They were also shown the smart agents, online service agents, enterprise service agents, multilingual service agents, sign-language service agents, and the Emergency Command and Dispatch Platform and other information platforms.
Nabil Khazini, a reporter with AL24NEWS from Algeria, speaks during an interview.
Nabil Khazini, a reporter with AL24NEWS (a TV channel) from Algeria, said that while Algeria also has similar platforms, their services tend to be isolated from each other rather than integrated. He praised the well-designed framework of Beijing's 12345 Citizen Service Hotline, noting that its combination with multiple modern technologies can better serve the citizens and aid foreign nationals in Beijing.
Mauricio Moreno, an audiovisual reporter for "El Tiempo" from Colombia, speaks during an interview.
According to Mauricio Moreno, an audiovisual reporter with El Tiempo (a newspaper) from Colombia, the platform receiving complaints in Colombia is quite different from the Beijing 12345 Hotline. He highlighted that Beijing's citizen service hotline is closer to the citizens' daily life, making it highly practical.
After a good understanding about the situation of the Beijing Citizen Hotline Service Center, the participating journalists viewed a promotional video of the 2024 Beijing Forum on Swift Response to Public Complaints to delve deeper into the International Web Portal of Beijing and the "12345 Online" service platform.
A staff member introduces the International Web Portal of Beijing to the participating journalists.
The International Web Portal of Beijing (https://english.beijing.gov.cn/) offers "one-stop" services in nine languages: English, Korean, Japanese, German, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic and Portuguese. These services encompass a wide range of areas such as payment, transportation, education, daily life, travel, and business setup for foreign nationals. The portal has also established its official WeChat account "BeijingService", a multi-channel service platform, which promptly releases up-to-date information that foreign companies and nationals care about. In addition, based on the "12345 Online", the International Web Portal of Beijing is capable of responding to inquiries and complaints submitted in nine languages, a feature that greatly impressed the participating journalists.
During the visit, staff also introduced multiple cases where foreign nationals had solved their problems through the "12345 Online". Among them, one case involving a 65-year-old foreign tourist notably impressed the participating journalists. Specifically, the tourist inquired about park ticket discounts via the portal, and the Beijing Municipal Administration Center of Parks swiftly responded to the query with all pertinent information, vividly showcasing the inclusiveness and efficiency of Beijing's services for global citizens.
Eric Napoli Fornandes, a journalist with Poder360 from Brazil, is giving an interview.
Eric Napoli Fornandes, a journalist with Poder360 (a news website) from Brazil, said that the "12345 Online" service platform provides essential assistance to foreign nationals in Beijing, and the International Web Portal of Beijing offers a wealth of useful information on travel, payment transportation, and more, which are extremely helpful.
In the final interaction session, the participating journalists raised questions focusing on topics such as the operational mechanism of the "Swift Response to Public Complaints" initiative and the convenience it offers to foreign nationals. Sanae Taleb, a reporter with Morocco's 2M (a TV channel), and several journalists from other foreign media agencies expressed that the achievements of the innovative explorations made by Beijing will serve as a model for other countries to learn from.
(Source: CRI Online)