Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has urged officials to be more
responsible and dedicated in receiving and resolving public
complaints and petitions so as to reduce social tension.
"China is at a critical point in its development, in which
certain problems may loom large," said Wen at the sixth national
conference on petition work held in Beijing on March 27 and 28.
According to the State Bureau for Letters and Calls, the
government body handling public complaints, issues such as land
expropriation for public and commercial use, environmental
protection, and company restructuring were the issues of most
concern to the public.
Wen said officials should act lawfully and with consideration,
responsibility, and dedication when handling public petitions and
complaints.
"To build a harmonious society, we need to learn to resolve
problems and turn negative situations into positive ones," he
said.
Statistics from the bureau show the total number of public pleas
filed through letters or visits in 2006 decreased 15.5 percent from
the previous year, the first drop in the last 12 years, but the
bureau would not give the exact figure.
In the past five years, more than 90 percent of public
complaints were promptly handled, said an official with the
bureau.
There was also a considerable drop in the number of mass
incidents in 2006, the official said, without giving the exact
figure.
(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2007)