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 which was 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)