Mainland opens office to handle Taiwan-related petitions

The State Council Taiwan Affairs Office (SCTAO) on Friday officially opened a special office to manage public petitions related to Taiwan affairs.

Petitioning, also known as "letters and calls", is the administrative system for hearing public complaints and grievances. Petitioners generally see injustice in land acquisition, social security, education, healthcare or environmental protection.

The move aims to regulate the management of petitions related to Taiwan and better serve petitioners, according to a SCTAO statement released Friday.

SCTAO vice director Gong Qinggai urged the office to listen to the complaints and demands of Taiwan compatriots and Taiwanese spouses in the mainland and try to solve their problems.