From December 18th to 19th, the 2024 Beijing Forum on Swift Response to Public Complaints was held. The permanent theme of the forum is "People's City, Better Future", and the 2024 annual theme is "Modernizing for People-Centered Urban Governance".
Yin Li, Chair of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech, with other leaders from the Beijing Municipal Government in attendance. Additionally, Gao Xiang, President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Fan Yun, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China Central Television(CCTV), Xu Haoliang, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Omar Razaz, Senior Researcher at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and Andreas Grammatikogiannis, Deputy Mayor of Athens, Greece, also delivered speeches at the event.
Zhang Donggang, Chair of the University Council of Renmin University of China(RUC), delivered a keynote speech on the topic of "Leading Urban Governance Modernization and Precision with Swift Response to Public Complaints." He stated that in the face of practical challenges in urban development, Beijing has implemented a people-centered development philosophy, efficiently and accurately solving the urgent and difficult issues of the people through "Swift Response to Public Complaints" reform, forming a new working paradigm, promoting new measures for grassroots governance in megacities, and practicing a new mechanism for people's cities.
Besides, Zhang stated that RUC has implemented a development philosophy centered on teachers and students, using "Swift Response to Public Complaints" reform as an entry point, insisting on high-level planning and systematic advancement, adhering to a teacher-student-first approach with detailed implementation, and maintaining a problem-oriented approach, continuously advancing the modernization of the university's governance system and capabilities.
Furthermore, he added that RUC will leverage its unique research strengths in the humanities and social sciences to provide high-quality and efficient solutions for deepening various policies, including "Swift Response to Public Complaints" reform. The university will shoulder effective responsibilities for optimizing capital governance and make precise and effective contributions to the advancement of urban governance modernization.
On the afternoon of December 18th, a parallel forum titled "New Type - Precise Governance and New Civilization Form" was held by RUC and Xicheng District People's Government of Beijing Municipality. Feng Shi Zheng, Vice President of RUC, attended and delivered a speech. Experts at the forum discussed optimizing new methods for urban governance, enhancing the initiative, precision, and effectiveness of governance.
On the afternoon of the 19th, the Capital Development and Strategy Research Institute of RUC convened a seminar on global governance and capital city development, discussing themes such as "Modernization of National Governance System and Governance Capacity," "Global Governance and Capital City Development," and "Urban Governance Modernization."
Co-hosted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China Media Group, the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, the 2024 Beijing Forum on Swift Response to Public Complaints comprises an opening ceremony, main sessions, six parallel forums, and a closing ceremony. Additional activities include screenings of a documentary film on the "Swift Response to Public Complaints," immersive experiences at the "12345" hotline center, city tours, and supporting exhibitions.
Over 3,100 domestic and international guests, including leaders from central government departments, representatives from other Chinese cities including Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, university experts, media representatives, corporate and public representatives, and relevant international organizations, attended the forum. The forum released the "Beijing Declaration 2024 on the Modernization of Urban Governance", contributing wisdom and strength to the construction of a global urban community with a shared future.
Since 2019, Beijing has innovatively advanced "Swift Response to Public Complaints" reform, exploring a path to modernize the governance of megacities driven by citizen demands. Over the past six years, it has handled 150 million citizen demands, with a resolution rate and satisfaction rate both reaching 97%. The "Swift Response to Public Complaints" reform forum is held every two years. It has offered a "Chinese Solution" for the governance of megacities worldwide, and has become one of Beijing's important open exchange platforms.
