China to cut red tape to encourage entrepreneurship

BEIJING - China will further cut red tape to improve the quality and efficiency of public services, according to a circular on public service and entrepreneurship published by the General Office of the State Council on Friday.

The circular points out the significance for the government to better its public service, as well as major tasks to optimize public service and encourage grassroots entrepreneurship.

According to the circular, governments at all levels and their departments shall come out with a list of the public service they provide as well as a guide for citizens on each of the services, and make them known to the public through their website or brochures.

Governments shall no longer require unnecessary "proofs" so that a citizen will not have to prove his/her mother is his/her mother or he/she is still living. Instead, they may try to get such information from other authorities, the circular says.

They will further simplify procedures and push innovation in their service methods, in order to shorten processing time. Local governments will encourage more one-stop services to optimize their public service, the circular said.

Procedures that are suitable and available for online handling will be open to the public, while a platform featuring both online and offline services is expected to be set up, according to the circular.

The State Council has been streamlining government administration since 2013 when the central government departments controlled 1,526 approval items.

In October, it slashed another 62 administrative approval items in a move to reduce government control and stimulate the market.