Published by ChinaMNC · Anzhou

Accessing Sichuan Government Information: A Practical Guide for Foreign Founders

A rewritten guide for foreign founders on how to request and obtain government information from the Sichuan Provincial People's Government and its General Office, including channels, procedures, timelines and fees.

Why Government Information Matters for Foreign Founders in Sichuan

For foreign founders setting up or running a company in Sichuan, access to official government information can support compliance, planning and informed decision-making. The Sichuan Provincial People's Government and its General Office publish a guide explaining how citizens, legal persons and other organizations can obtain government information. The guide is issued under the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Disclosure of Government Information (State Council Order No. 711). This article summarizes the key practical points for foreign founders, based only on the published source.

Proactive Disclosure: What Is Published Without a Request

The provincial government follows principles of fairness, impartiality, legality and convenience. It proactively discloses information that affects public interests, that the public needs to know widely, or that requires public participation in decision-making, as well as other information required by laws, regulations, rules and relevant state provisions. The scope is expanded over time in line with higher-level directives and local conditions.

Main Categories of Proactively Disclosed Information

• Provincial government leadership and division of work, the setup of government bodies, main responsibilities and the provincial government work rules.
• Provincial government rules and normative documents issued by the provincial government and its General Office.
• The provincial government work report, important provincial government meetings and information on provincial leaders attending important official activities.
• Sichuan's economic and social development plans, special plans, regional plans and related policies, plus economic and social development statistics.
• Administrative licensing, administrative penalties, administrative coercion and other external management and service matters.
• Fiscal budgets and final accounts, government centralized procurement and administrative fee information.
• Approval and implementation of major construction projects.
• Major livelihood matters: policies, measures and implementation in poverty alleviation, education, medical care, social security and employment promotion; emergency plans, early warning information and response to public emergencies; and supervision and inspection of environmental protection, public health, work safety, food and drugs, and product quality.
• Provincial government personnel appointments and removals, and civil servant recruitment information.
• Other government information that laws, regulations, rules and relevant state provisions require to be proactively disclosed.

Where Proactive Information Is Published

• The Sichuan Provincial People's Government Gazette.
• The Sichuan Provincial People's Government portal website.
• Official social media accounts, including the "Sichuan Release" Sina Weibo and WeChat accounts and the "Sichuan Provincial People's Government Website" Toutiao account.
• Provincial government press conferences.
• Other channels such as radio, television and newspapers.

Government 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 serve as information disclosure reception and reading venues.

Timing of Proactive Disclosure

Information within the proactive disclosure scope is published within 20 working days from the date it is formed or changed. Where laws or regulations provide otherwise, those provisions apply.

Requesting Information: The Application Process

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 Correct Authority

To obtain information accurately and quickly, applicants should first determine which authority holds the information. Applicants can visit the provincial government portal website, click on "Institutional Functions" and review the main responsibilities and organizational setup of provincial administrative bodies. They should then submit an application through the channel opened by the relevant authority, following its specific usage notes.

• For approval information and feasibility study reports on major construction projects, apply to the development and reform department.
• For information on collective land expropriation, apply to the natural resources department.
• For information on expropriation and compensation of housing on state-owned land and shantytown renovation, apply to the municipal or county-level government where the applicant is located and its housing and urban-rural development department.

The General Office of the Sichuan Provincial People's Government accepts applications made to the provincial government and the General Office. The Provincial Government Information Disclosure Office handles the specific matters.

Step 2: Choose a Submission Channel

Three channels are available: in person, by letter and online. Applications are processed according to the application procedure.

• In person: The authority has an application reception 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.
• By letter: Submit the application form by post, with a copy of a valid identity document attached.
• Online: Register a user account on the Sichuan Government Services Network as prompted, log in and apply online. Select the application type and enter the requested information, such as name and identity document number, and check the application progress.

Step 3: Prepare a Clear Application

• Before applying, applicants can first search the proactive disclosure channels described above. If the information cannot be found, they can then submit an application.
• Matters involving petitions, complaints, reports, consultations or suggestions should be submitted through dedicated channels such as the Governor's Mailbox, the 12345 online message service or disciplinary inspection reporting channels.
• The application form can be collected at the reception point or downloaded from the provincial government portal website. Photocopies are valid. Online applicants can complete the form directly online.
• In-person applicants must present a valid identity document. Letter applicants must attach a copy of a valid identity document. Online applicants must register on the Sichuan Government Services Network, complete identity verification and log in before submitting.
• The description of the requested information should be clear and specific. Applicants are advised to provide the name, document number or other characteristic details that help the authority locate the information.

Step 4: Understand How Applications Are Handled

If the content of an application is unclear, the authority will provide guidance and explanation and, within 7 working days of receiving the application, notify the applicant once of the corrections needed, including the items to correct and a reasonable correction period. If a corrected application does not meet requirements or still cannot identify specific government information, the authority will inform the applicant in writing that the content is unclear and the application cannot be processed. If the applicant fails to correct within the period without justified reason, the application is deemed abandoned and will no longer be processed.

Where the requested information can be disclosed, the authority provides it or informs the applicant of the method, channel and time for obtaining it. Where the information is not within the authority's disclosure responsibility, the applicant is informed with reasons; if the responsible authority can be identified, its name and contact details are provided. If the authority has already responded to an application and the applicant repeats the same request, the applicant is informed that no repeated processing will be made. For information such as business registration or real estate registration materials, where laws or administrative regulations contain special provisions on access, the applicant is informed to follow those provisions.

Step 5: Note the Timelines and Fees

• 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 authority's information disclosure office must approve it and notify the applicant in writing. The extension may not exceed 20 working days.
• Time spent consulting third parties and other authorities is not counted in the processing period. For corrected applications, the reply period starts from receipt of the correction.
• Where the number or frequency of applications clearly exceeds a reasonable range, the authority may require the applicant to explain the reasons. If the reasons are unreasonable, the applicant is informed that the application will not be processed. If the reasons are reasonable but a reply cannot be given within the period set by Article 33 of the Regulations, the authority will set a reasonable delayed reply period and inform the applicant.
• Except for separable processing under Article 37 of the Regulations, the authority provides information based on what it holds and is not obliged to process or analyze existing government information.
• The form of provision is determined by the applicant's request and the authority's actual holdings. If providing information in the requested form may endanger the safety of the information carrier or make disclosure too costly, the information may be provided in electronic data or another appropriate form, or the applicant may be arranged to inspect or copy it.
• Under Article 42 of the Regulations and the Measures for the Administration of Information Processing Fees for Government Information Disclosure (Guobanhan [2020] No. 109) and provincial rules, information processing fees are charged.

Step 6: Know Your Remedies

Under Article 51 of the Regulations, if an applicant believes that an administrative organ has infringed lawful rights and interests in government information disclosure, the applicant may complain or report to the higher-level administrative organ or the competent department for government information disclosure, or apply for administrative reconsideration or bring an administrative lawsuit in accordance with the law.

Practical Takeaways for Foreign Founders

• Check proactive disclosure channels before submitting a request.
• Direct project, land and housing-related requests to the correct department.
• Provide specific document names or numbers to speed up processing.
• Expect replies within 20 working days, with possible extensions of up to 20 working days.
• Use dedicated channels for complaints and suggestions rather than information disclosure applications.

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

Foreign founders who need help registering and operating a company in China can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp or WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535.