Published by ChinaMNC · Ganluo

Accessing Sichuan Government Information: A Practical Guide for Foreign Founders

A practical overview of how foreign founders can obtain Sichuan provincial government information, including proactive disclosure channels, application procedures, timelines, and fees, based on the official Sichuan government information disclosure guide.

Why Government Information Access Matters for Foreign Founders

Foreign founders setting up or running a company in Sichuan often need to understand the regulatory environment, track policy changes, and locate official documents. The Sichuan Provincial People's Government publishes a guide explaining how citizens, legal persons, and other organizations can access government information held by the provincial government and its General Office. The guide is issued under the Regulation of the People's Republic of China on the Disclosure of Government Information (State Council Order No. 711).

For foreign founders, understanding these channels can help with due diligence, compliance planning, and identifying the government body responsible for a particular matter. This article summarizes the guide's key practical points.

What Information Is Disclosed Proactively

The provincial government actively discloses information that affects public interests, that the public needs to know broadly, or that requires public participation in decision-making, in line with the principles of fairness, legality, and convenience. The main categories include:

• Government structure and rules: provincial leadership and their divisions of work, the setup and main duties of government offices, and the provincial government's working rules.
• Regulations and normative documents: provincial government rules and normative documents issued by the provincial government and its General Office.
• Work reports and meetings: the provincial government work report, important meetings, and information on leaders' attendance at important official activities.
• Planning and statistics: economic and social development plans, special plans, regional plans, related policies, and economic and social statistics.
• Administrative matters: administrative licensing, penalties, compulsory measures, and other external management and service items.
• Financial information: fiscal budgets and final accounts, government centralized procurement, and administrative fees.
• Major projects: approval and implementation status of major construction projects.
• Major livelihood issues: policies and implementation on poverty alleviation, education, healthcare, social security, and employment promotion; emergency plans, early warnings, and responses for public emergencies; and supervision and inspection of environmental protection, public health, work safety, food and drug safety, and product quality.
• Personnel matters: provincial government personnel appointments and removals, and civil service recruitment.
• Other information: any other government information that laws, regulations, rules, and national provisions require to be proactively disclosed.

Where to Find Disclosed Information

The provincial government uses several channels to publish information. These include the Sichuan Provincial People's Government Gazette, the provincial government portal website, the "Sichuan Release" Sina Weibo account, the "Sichuan Release" WeChat public account, the "Sichuan Provincial People's Government Website" Toutiao account, provincial government press conferences, and other media such as radio, television, and newspapers.

Information is also made available through the Sichuan Provincial Government Government Services and Public Resources Trading Service Center, the Sichuan Provincial Archives, and the Sichuan Provincial Library. These locations serve as venues for accepting and consulting government information.

For information in the proactive disclosure scope, publication occurs within 20 working days from the date the information is formed or changed, unless other laws or regulations provide otherwise.

How to Apply for Information That Is Not Proactively Disclosed

Beyond proactively disclosed information, citizens, legal persons, and other organizations (applicants) may apply to the Sichuan Provincial People's Government and its General Office for relevant government information.

Step 1: Identify the Right Authority

To obtain information accurately and quickly, applicants should first determine which authority holds the information. Applicants can visit the provincial government portal website and click "Institutional Functions" to review the main duties and organizational setup of provincial administrative bodies. They should then submit an application to the appropriate authority through its designated application channel, following that channel's specific instructions.

For example, information on project approval and feasibility study reports for major construction projects should be requested from the development and reform department. Information on collective land expropriation should be requested from the natural resources department. Information on state-owned land housing expropriation and compensation, and shantytown renovation, can be requested from the municipal or county-level government where the applicant is located and its housing and urban-rural development department.

Step 2: Submit the Application

Under the Regulation, the General Office of the Sichuan Provincial People's Government accepts applications submitted to the provincial government and its General Office. The provincial government information disclosure office handles the specific matters. Applications may be submitted in person, by letter, or online, and are processed according to the application procedure.

• In person: the authority has an application acceptance point at the provincial government services center. Applicants can collect the Government Information Disclosure Application Form on site, complete it, and submit it in person.
• Online: applicants register a user account following the prompts on the Sichuan Government Services Network, log in, and apply online. They select the application type, enter application information such as name and identification number, and can check the application's progress.

Practical Tips for Applicants

• Check proactive channels first: responses take time, so applicants should search the proactive disclosure channels before submitting an application and apply only if the information cannot be found.
• Use dedicated channels for other matters: petitions, complaints, reports, consultations, and suggestions should go through dedicated channels such as the Governor's Mailbox, the 12345 online message board, and discipline inspection reporting.
• Complete the form: the application form can be collected at the acceptance point or downloaded from the provincial government portal website. Photocopies are valid, and online applicants can fill it in directly.
• Provide identification: in-person applicants must present valid identification; those applying by letter should attach a copy of valid identification; online applicants must register on the Sichuan Government Services Network and complete identity verification before submitting.
• Describe the information clearly: the description should point clearly to the information sought, ideally including the name, document number, or other identifying details that help the authority locate it.

Processing, Timelines, and Fees

If an application is unclear, the authority will provide guidance and, within 7 working days of receipt, notify the applicant once of the items to be corrected and a reasonable correction period. If the corrected application still does not identify specific information, the authority will inform the applicant in writing that the application cannot be processed. If the applicant fails to correct without justified reason, the application is deemed abandoned.

Where the requested information can be disclosed, the authority provides it or informs the applicant of the method, channel, and time for obtaining it. If the information is not within the authority's responsibility, the applicant is informed with reasons; where the responsible authority can be identified, its name and contact details are provided. Repeated applications for the same information already answered will not be processed again. For information such as business registration or real estate registration records, where laws or administrative regulations set special rules, applicants are directed to follow those rules.

Except where an answer can be given on the spot, the authority replies within 20 working days of receiving the application. If an extension is needed, the head of the information disclosure office may approve it with written notice, and the extension may not exceed 20 working days. Time spent consulting third parties and other authorities is not counted, and for corrected applications, the response period starts from receipt of the correction.

If the number or frequency of applications clearly exceeds a reasonable range, the authority may require the applicant to explain. Unreasonable explanations may lead to non-processing; where the explanation is reasonable but a reply cannot be made within the period set by Article 33 of the Regulation, the authority will set a reasonable delayed reply period and inform the applicant.

Except where separable handling under Article 37 of the Regulation applies, the authority provides information as actually held and is not obliged to process or analyze existing information. The form of provision is determined by the applicant's request and the authority's actual holdings; if the requested form could endanger the information carrier or make disclosure too costly, the authority may provide electronic data or another appropriate form, or arrange for inspection and copying.

Under Article 42 of the Regulation, information processing fees are charged in strict accordance with the notice on the Measures for the Administration of Government Information Disclosure Information Processing Fees (Guo Ban Han [2020] No. 109) and provincial rules.

Under Article 51 of the Regulation, applicants who believe their lawful rights have been infringed may complain or report to the higher-level administrative authority or the competent department for government information disclosure, or apply for administrative reconsideration or bring an administrative lawsuit.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.