Published by ChinaMNC · Jianyang

Accessing Sichuan Provincial Government Information: A Practical Guide for Foreign Founders

A plain-language walkthrough of Sichuan's government information disclosure rules, covering what is published proactively, how foreign founders can file requests, timelines, fees, and where to turn when a request concerns a specific agency.

Why Government Information Disclosure Matters for Foreign Founders

Foreign founders setting up or running a company in Sichuan often need official documents: approval records for major construction projects, land expropriation materials, policy documents, or regulatory notices. Sichuan Province publishes a guide explaining how its government discloses information, based on the national Regulation on Open Government Information (State Council Order No. 711). The guide sets out what is released proactively and how citizens, legal persons, and other organizations can request information that is not published.

The stated aims are transparency, a rule-of-law government, and making government information useful for production, daily life, and economic activity. Disclosure follows the principles of fairness, legality, and convenience.

What the Provincial Government Publishes Proactively

Under the regulation, the provincial government proactively releases a defined set of information. For founders, the most relevant categories include:

• Leadership and structure: provincial leaders and their portfolios, the setup and main duties of government bodies, and the provincial government's working rules.
• Rules and normative documents: provincial government rules and normative documents issued by the provincial government and its General Office.
• Planning and statistics: economic and social development plans, specialized and regional plans, related policies, and economic and social statistics.
• Administrative matters: administrative licensing, penalties, compulsory measures, and other external management services.
• Finance and procurement: fiscal budgets and final accounts, government centralized procurement, and administrative fee information.
• Major projects: approval and implementation status of major construction projects.
• Livelihood and safety: policies and implementation in poverty alleviation, education, healthcare, social security, and employment promotion; emergency plans, early warnings, and responses for public incidents; and supervision and inspection of environmental protection, public health, workplace safety, food and drug safety, and product quality.
• Personnel: provincial personnel appointments and removals, and civil service recruitment.
• Other information that laws, regulations, rules, and national provisions require to be disclosed.

Where the Information Appears

Proactive disclosure is made through the Sichuan Provincial People's Government Gazette, the provincial government portal website, the "Sichuan Release" Sina Weibo and WeChat accounts, the portal's headline account, provincial government press conferences, and other channels such as radio, television, and newspapers. Information is also made available at the Sichuan Government Services and Public Resources Trading Service Center, the Sichuan Provincial Archives, and the Sichuan Provincial Library, which serve as disclosure and reading venues.

Timing

Information within the proactive disclosure scope is published within 20 working days from the date it is formed or changed, unless other laws or regulations provide otherwise.

Requesting Information That Is Not Published

Beyond proactively disclosed material, citizens, legal persons, and other organizations may apply to the provincial government or its General Office for relevant government information. The General Office accepts applications and the Provincial Government Information Disclosure Office handles the specifics.

First, Identify the Right Agency

The guide advises applicants to determine the correct agency before filing, so the request reaches the right office quickly. Applicants can visit the provincial government portal, use the "Institutional Functions" section to review duties and structure, and then submit to the agency that handles that type of information through its designated channel and following its usage notes. Examples given:

• Approval information and feasibility study reports for major construction projects go to development and reform departments.
• Information on collective land expropriation goes to natural resources departments.
• Information on expropriation and compensation of housing on state-owned land and shantytown redevelopment can be requested from the city or county government where the applicant is located and its housing and urban-rural development department.

How to Submit

The General Office accepts in-person, postal, and online submissions, processed according to the application procedure:

• In person: a request acceptance point is set up 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: register a user account on the Sichuan Government Services Website as prompted, log in, and apply online by selecting the application type and entering the requested details, such as name and ID number. Progress can then be checked online.

Practical Tips Before and During Application

• Responses take time. To obtain information promptly, check the proactive disclosure channels first and file a request only if the information is not already available. Matters involving petitions, complaints, reports, consultations, or suggestions should go through dedicated channels such as the Governor's Mailbox, the 12345 online message service, and disciplinary reporting.
• The application form can be collected at the acceptance point or downloaded from the provincial government portal; photocopies are valid. Online applicants can fill it in directly.
• In-person applicants must show valid identification; postal applicants should attach a copy of valid identification; online applicants must register on the Sichuan Government Services Website and complete identity verification before submitting.
• Describe the information clearly and specifically. The guide recommends providing the document name, reference number, or other identifying details that help the agency locate it.
• If a request is unclear, the agency will provide guidance and, within 7 working days of receipt, notify the applicant once of the items needing correction and a reasonable correction period. If the corrected request still does not identify specific information, the agency will state in writing that it cannot process it. If the applicant fails to correct without justified reason, the request is treated as abandoned.

Responses and Deadlines

Where the requested information may be disclosed, the agency provides it or explains how, where, and when to obtain it. If the information is not within the agency's disclosure responsibility, the agency explains why and, where possible, identifies the responsible agency with contact details. Repeat requests for the same information already answered will not be processed again. For information such as business registration and real estate registration records governed by special legal provisions, applicants are directed to follow those provisions.

Except where an answer can be given on the spot, the agency replies within 20 working days of receiving the request. An extension may be granted with the approval of the head of the disclosure office and written notice to the applicant, for a maximum of 20 additional working days. Time spent consulting third parties and other agencies is not counted, and for corrected requests the response period starts from receipt of the correction.

If the number or frequency of requests clearly exceeds a reasonable range, the agency may ask for justification. Unreasonable requests may be declined; reasonable ones that cannot be answered within the statutory period will receive a delayed response with a reasonable timeframe communicated to the applicant.

Unless separable handling under the regulation applies, the agency provides information as it is held and is not obliged to process or analyze existing information. The format of provision depends on the applicant's request and how the information is stored; if the requested format would endanger the information carrier or cost too much, the agency may provide electronic data or another suitable form, or arrange for the applicant to inspect or copy the information.

Information processing fees are charged in line with the State Council General Office's measures on such fees (Guobanhan No. 109 of 2020) and provincial rules.

If You Believe Your Rights Are Infringed

Applicants who consider their lawful rights infringed in the disclosure process may complain or report to the next higher administrative organ or the competent department for disclosure work, 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.