Beijing to standardize govt website update

The General Office of the Beijing Municipal Government issued a document on the construction and content management of the local government website, explicitly stipulating that authorities should be proactive in responding to the hot topics of the day, the Beijing News reported on Thursday.

eBeijing, the official English-language website of the City of Beijing, has released the "Opinions on Further Promoting Government Website Contents Construction". The document specifies that government departments should promptly respond to sudden incidents and hot issues of public concern through eBeijing and other official websites, and subsequent progress should also be updated in a timely fashion.

According to the "Opinion", sharing and linking mechanisms should also be set up to handle responses to topical social issues and reflect the attitudes of the governing bodies.

Other social media channels, namely microblog and weChat public platforms, should also be involved in the website contents management program, especially when it comes to information disclosure and sharing.

Government should respond within 7 working days of receiving comments from netizens, or 15 working days with an explanation for the delay if the situation is more complex.

Furthermore, the content of each authority's website should be updated at least once a week, and supervision should also be strengthened, according to the newly released document.

In addition to publishing information on events, the official website of the Beijing Government at all levels should deliver policy interpretation, especially on issues of easing Beijing non-capital functions, deepening the reform, improving air quality, tackling climate change, modern city management and protection of people's livelihood, the "Opinion" says.