2024 Beijing Forum on Swift Response to Public Complaints opens in Beijing

The 2024 Beijing Forum on Swift Response to Public Complaints, co-hosted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the China Media Group (CMG), the Communist Party of China (CPC) Beijing Municipal Committee and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, opened on Wednesday.

Yin Li, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech.

Wu Hansheng, minister of the Society Work Department of the CPC Central Committee; Gao Xiang, president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Yin Yong, deputy secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and mayor of Beijing; Li Xiuling, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress; and Wei Xiaodong, chairman of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC, were also in attendance.

Delivering speeches at the opening ceremony were Fan Yun, deputy editor-in-chief of CMG; Xu Haoliang, under-secretary-general of the United Nations; Omar AL-Razzaz, former prime minister of Jordan; and Andreas Grammatikogiannis, deputy mayor of Athens.

Yin Li stated that the Chinese government places great emphasis on urban development. The government has always prioritized the people, continuously strengthening the construction of new urbanization and striving to modernize the urban governance system and governance capabilities, he added.

Beijing, with a history spanning over 3,000 years, including more than 870 years as the Chinese capital, is well known for its cultural and historical importance. Today, it is a modern, vibrant megacity with a population of 21.86 million.

In recent years, in response to the diverse needs of its residents for a better life, Beijing has innovatively implemented the "Swift Response to Public Complaints" initiative, proactively addressing governance challenges raised by citizens. The city has continuously improved its public service system, effectively resolving numerous local issues for its residents, making urban life more convenient, enriched and refined.

"Looking ahead, we will continue to build an open, inclusive, and ecologically beautiful modern city. We will further optimize the international service environment, strengthen cultural exchanges and mutual learning, create a model city for the green economy, and strive to build a world-class, harmonious, and livable capital," Yin Li said.

Gao stated that Beijing is accelerating the establishment of a new model for urban grassroots governance guided by the "Swift Response to Public Complaints" initiative, which reflects the unique characteristics of the capital city. Beijing is continuously improving the quality of the urban environment and enhancing the living standards of its people, he said.

The "Swift Response to Public Complaints" reform adheres to a people-centered approach, effectively responding to public needs, Gao noted, adding that it embodies the Party's mass line in the new era by prioritizing the voices of the people, understanding their concerns, addressing their anxieties, and closely following public opinion.

A series of reforms have been implemented, focusing on improving people's livelihoods and fulfilling their aspirations. These efforts have provided valuable experience for advancing the modernization of the national governance system and capabilities, Gao added.

"The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences will actively leverage its academic and talent resources, working collaboratively with Beijing to contribute to the advancement of Chinese modernization. The goal is to build a resilient, green and livable city that is truly people-centered, enabling all citizens to better share in the fruits of urban development," Gao said.

Fan stated that the establishment of the "Swift Response to Public Complaints" system has provided Beijing with a solution and China with experience for governing megacities.

To coincide with the forum, CMG has specially produced the documentary film "Hotline Beijing" and the 4K ultra-high-definition TV documentary "Hotline Beijing," showcasing a city that is credible, lovable, and respectable – a true reflection of the real China.

CMG will continue to leverage its integrated broadcasting advantages and its powerful international broadcasting capability of 81 languages to continue telling vivid stories in innovative ways, sharing stories of Beijing, China, and the world, as well as narrating the exploration and struggle of people on the road to modernization, Fan said.

In their speeches, Xu, Al-Razzaz and Grammatikogiannis all stressed the significance of urban governance to policymakers around the world in the process of advancing sustainable development.

A series of outcomes of the forum were released at the opening ceremony. These include the following documents: "Compilation of Research Papers on Swift Response to Public Complaints in Beijing," "Cases of Urban Governance Innovation," and "Evaluation Report on Worldwide City Hotline Services and Governance Effectiveness."

Relevant leaders from central government departments, officials from Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin, heads of some domestic and foreign cities, and other guests from home and abroad attended the opening ceremony.

Since 2019, Beijing has innovatively pushed forward the reform of swift response to public complaints, explored and formed the pathway of modernization of megacity governance driven by citizens' needs, and received 150 million calls from citizens in the past six years, with the resolution rate and satisfaction rate both reaching 97 percent. The biennial forum tells the world vivid stories of China's governance and has become one of Beijing's important platforms for exchanges.