China's State Council checks petitions  

国办部署《信访条例》执法检查 重点抽查网上信访等

本次执法检查从5月上旬至7月底分阶段进行，其中6月下旬至7月中旬为重点抽查阶段，主要是在前期各地各有关部门自查基础上，由国家信访局、人力资源社会保障部、国土资源部、住房城乡建设部、民政部、国务院法制办等部门组成5个执法检查组，分赴信访工作任务较重的15个省份和10个部委开展实地执法检查。[查看全文]

China's cabinet, the State Council, is checking up on how people's complaints about government work are handled.

From the end of June to the middle of July, the State Bureau for Letters and Calls, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Land and Resources, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council will establish five groups to check how complaints are dealt with in 15 provincial regions and 10 ministerial departments.

The office of "letters and calls" is a unique petitioning system in China to help people express their opinions and solve problems. A regulation on complaints put into effect in 2005 is the most important administrative regulation in the field. Its implementation in recent years has met some problems.

The State Council stressed that all staff will summarize their experiences, find problems and make suggestions to implement regulations and reforms by central authorities.