China receives fewer complaints in last 10 months

China's State Bureau for Letters and Calls (SBLC) said that it had received a total of 6.04 million complaint letters and calls in the first ten months of 2013, with complaints filed above the county level dropping by 2.1 percent year on year. The complaints mainly involve rural land expropriation, urban house demolition, and labor and social insurance, said Zhang Enxi, a deputy director for the SBLC, at a press conference on Thursday. Zhang said that from January to October, the bureau received more letters and fewer visits about complaints, and more suggestions on social management and economic development for the government. "During the period, collective petitions dropped by 3.1 percent, and appeals filed by more than 50 people dropped by 12.9 percent, which shows a better petitioning situation," said Zhang. According to an earlier guide by the SBLC, people may file complaints when their rights are encroached upon as a result of an abuse of power on the part of authorities, enterprises, public institutions, civil groups or their employees. They can also offer comments or suggestions regarding the work of the above-mentioned entities and their employees. In July of this year, the SBLC started an online petitioning system to receive complaints in order to boost transparency. As of Nov. 25, the bureau has received more than 130,000 online comments and complaints, with nearly 40,000 petitions settled by relevant departments, according to Li Gao, another SBLC deputy director. "The Internet system is now operating smoothly, providing convenience and efficiency for handling complaints, and is accepted by more people, with more than 1,200 petitions received on average every day," said Li. In 14 provincial-level regions, the number of online complaints has exceeded the number of complaint letters received, Li added. Li said that the bureau will improve the online platform, including setting up a more comprehensive mechanism with standard regulations as well as an assessment system.