Editor's note: Zhao Juan is a young professor at the School of Management, Capital Normal University, China. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

As Beijing shows how citizens' everyday concerns can guide government action and help a city improve, the 2026 Beijing Forum on Swift Response to Public Complaints, to be held from October 12 to 13, will highlight the theme "Digital Intelligence Era and People's City."

Chinese President Xi Jinping once said "Cities are built by the people and are for the people." In February 2026, he called for effective use of complaint-response mechanisms to address people's most pressing concerns. Since Beijing expanded its reform in 2019, it has linked public feedback with government-coordinated action and policy improvement. Solving everyday problems has become a way to build a more capable government.

Bringing departments together to solve problems

A problem in one neighborhood may require help from several departments and levels of government. Local officials often know what is wrong, but the authority, expertise and resources needed to fix it may lie elsewhere. Beijing's Swift Response to Public Complaints reform – a service including the 12345 hotline that operates 24/7 to handle public inquiries, community grievances, and administrative requests, gives them a way to bring those resources together.

Under a system led by the Communist Party of China, subdistricts and townships can call on departments to work together. The first agency assigned a case leads the response, while others do their part. Cases that cannot be resolved through local coordination can be referred to district-level or city-level governments, or the department with authority over the issue.

For instance, in Songzhuang, an area in Beijing known for its contemporary art, residents faced water-supply problems. Calls for help brought the municipal development and reform commission together with the district water authority and water utility. They upgraded pipelines and connected the communities to the municipal water system. The problem determines which agencies need to work together and what level of support is required. Feedback and performance reviews hold them accountable. Solving problems locally thus becomes a shared responsibility across government departments.

Preemptive action to prevent problems

However, quick responses offer limited relief if the same problems keep returning. Complaint records can help officials spot patterns and act before residents need to call again.

Each year, Beijing uses winter complaints to plan heating repairs and upgrades before the next heating season. During a windy cold spell in February 2025, the city's heating utility used hourly forecasts to raise network temperatures and store heat in advance. Staff also analyzed complaints, inspected equipment and checked temperatures inside homes. Digital technologies helped officials use past complaints and current weather forecasts to take preventive action.

For this approach to work, analysis must lead to specific projects and operating decisions, with clear responsibilities, resources and deadlines. Field checks help verify what the data suggests. Digital tools become useful when they help agencies learn from experience and act on what they learn.

Neighborhood workers, building representatives, residents' forums and photos from delivery couriers help officials identify needs beyond hotline calls. By addressing emerging problems early, agencies can improve services for residents, including those who find it difficult to seek help.

Turning everyday experience into better policy

Some complaints reveal obstacles in the rules governing how services are provided. The local government must therefore work at two levels. It needs to resolve each case and follow up with the hotline callers. It also needs to examine what caused the problem, adjust policies and check whether the changes work.

Since 2021, Beijing's "theme of the Month" initiative has used the 12345 hotline data to set annual priorities. City departments lead targeted action, examining two or three recurring issues under each monthly theme. Scenario-based analysis combines data and fieldwork to identify underlying causes and develop policies that clarify responsibilities and improve resource allocation.

Renovating older housing linked to central state-owned enterprises illustrates this process. Residents' requests exposed a policy gap: Even enterprises willing to renovate the housing lacked clear guidance. Local officials raised the issue through successive government levels, resulting in new guidance from China's state assets regulator. The policy gave enterprises a shared framework for renovation, showing how local problem-solving can inform rules that apply beyond the original case.

Digital tools support this learning by connecting complaint records with service information and local knowledge. Successful practices need to be assessed and adapted before being used elsewhere. Over time, proven solutions can become standing rules, reducing the need for repeated, case-by-case coordination.

Beijing's experience shows how listening to citizens can reshape the way a city governs. Their concerns bring departments together, guide action before problems grow and help translate local experience into better public policies. By turning everyday requests into lasting improvements, the city builds its capacity to respond and learn.

Beijing's Swift Response to Public Complaints reform sets a new benchmark for cities, showing how institutional mechanisms embedded in the daily work of government can turn citizens' everyday concerns into a powerful force for better governance.

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