As winter settles over Beijing, the city's 12345 hotline has seen a remarkable 61 percent drop in heating-related complaints. This isn't a coincidence. This is because since this summer, Beijing's heating department has proactively repaired the city's heating system based on frequent issues flagged by residents through the hotline.

Another heartwarming story comes from Ma Shujie, a 63-year-old retired teacher who was struggling to find a suitable nursing home for her 89-year-old mother-in-law. With no luck finding a nearby facility, Ma turned to the 12345 hotline for help. Her request quickly gathered momentum as other similar cases were raised by citizens across Beijing. Thanks to the combined efforts of different government departments, more than 1,000 community-based eldercare stations were established, and Ma's mother-in-law found a facility just a short walk from her home.

Launched to provide fast solutions to everyday problems, the 12345 hotline has become an indispensable part of Beijing's urban fabric. From healthcare to housing and even transportation, residents can turn to this government service for everything from emergency requests to general inquiries.

In the six years since its launch, the 12345 hotline has handled an astounding 150 million requests. Resolution rates have skyrocketed from 53 percent to 97 percent, while satisfaction levels have soared from 65 percent to 97.3 percent.

Big data drives long-term changes

The government isn't just listening. It also uses the big data to drive long-term changes.

"By analyzing vast amounts of data from citizen requests, the platform generates valuable insights that help inform decision-making at the highest levels. It's an essential tool for science-based governance," Meng Tianguang, a professor from Tsinghua University's School of Social Sciences, told CMG.

Taking the case of the Huilongguan and Tiantongyuan areas, two adjacent mega-communities in the northern part of Beijing as an example, the government used 12345 feedback to uncover severe traffic congestion and public facility shortages as the population there swelled far beyond the area’s planned capacity. In response, more than 60 public infrastructure projects were launched in 2018, which improved everything from transportation to healthcare and recreation for residents.

But Beijing's efforts to improve city governance don't end there. To make accessing government services even easier, the city has partnered with popular apps like WeChat, Alipay, and Baidu to provide online platforms for handling administrative matters.

On Wechat, citizens can now access nearly a thousand services through the "Jingtong" mini-program, from booking marriage registration appointments to checking traffic or updating social security information. This unified platform spans more than 20 government departments, bringing services to the fingertips of millions.

China accelerates full-scale urban digitalization

Across China, other large cities are also making changes to improve city governance. From Shanghai to Nanjing, Wuhan to Hangzhou, urban centers are adopting similar hotlines and leveraging digital technologies like AI, big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to streamline governance and make urban living more sustainable and citizen-friendly.

Shanghai's Pudong New Area is one outstanding example. In 2018, the city introduced an ambitious "urban brain" system, integrating cloud computing, big data, and AI with IoT and sensor networks to create a real-time, all-encompassing digital management platform. The system has transformed the way the city monitors everything from traffic patterns to waste management and public safety.

Taking the bike-sharing management system in Pudong as an example, by integrating GPS data from shared bikes with the "urban brain" system, the government can track bike locations in real-time. If an area becomes oversaturated with bikes, the system can prompt companies to redistribute them, ensuring efficient usage while preventing congestion.

Wang Dacheng, Director of the Smart City Engineering Department of the Aerospace Information Research Institute at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, noted that China's smart city technology is rapidly advancing, entering a phase of full-scale urban digitalization. He stressed the need to continue policy support and investment in 5G, IoT, and cloud computing, alongside promoting AI in urban management, while ensuring interoperability and compatibility through clear technical standards.