International audiences, including government officials and experts, have praised Beijing's innovative, people-centered urban governance model, which have been reflected in the documentary film Your Voice.
The premiere of Your Voice, a documentary film reflecting Beijing's practice in promptly responding to public demands to improve city governance, was held at China National Convention Center in the city on Tuesday.
The event was one of the supporting activities for the 2024 Beijing Forum on "Swift Response to Public Complaints," which is being held from Wednesday to Thursday and focuses on showcasing the metropolis' achievements in resolving public grievances through the 12345 citizen hotline.
The documentary film weaves together seven compelling stories, illustrating how Beijing's governance is driven by the needs and concerns of its residents. During the film production process, the team visited over 40 relevant organizations and interviewed over a hundred individuals involved in the process of handling and solving city’s public complaints.
"When you walk through the community, or wherever you go, you are recognized and needed by the residents, who would say from a broader perspective that you have solved their pressing difficulties and problems that concerns them most, giving them a sense of gain. Everything I do is appreciated by the people, and they recognize that the government is wholeheartedly working for the well-being of the people," said Yi Ran, director of the Longzeyuan Community in Beijing's Changping District.
Audiences said the film offers a vivid description of Beijing's efforts, illustrating the significance of adapting urban management to the needs and voices of its residents.
"It's a very advanced form of democracy, I think, because this is very popular form of democracy, where people are involved in solving their own problems, and helping the government to solve their own problems. I believe that it's a very interesting work that the Beijing government is doing here," said Gonzalo Fiore Viani, Ambassador's Advisor for Political Affairs and Communications of the Embassy of San Marino in Argentina.
The premiere event was attended by over 400 people, including officials from the Beijing municipal government, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and China Media Group (CMG), chiefs of globally renowned cities, front-line workers of the complaints handling service, and major film producers.
The film was jointly produced by the CMG, the organization department and the publicity department of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, and is scheduled to be released to public in 2025.
The main event, the 2024 Beijing Forum on Swift Response to Public Complaints, opened in the Chinese capital on Wednesday, gathering more than 700 participants, including domestic and international guests, representatives from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Macao SAR and the Taiwan region, scholars from universities and representatives of grassroots workers.
In response to urban governance challenges, Beijing launched the swift response to public complaints reform in 2019, providing rapid responses and efficient handling of citizens' concerns through the 12345 Citizen Service Hotline.
Participations have exchanged ideas on how to improve and innovate on urban governance, and what lessons can be shared between Beijing and cities across the globe.
"Through this reform, Beijing has successfully established transparent interaction mechanism between the government and citizens, igniting their enthusiasm and activity in practicing urban governance," said Omar Al-Razzaz, former Prime Minister of Jordan.
The two-day event provides global leaders with on-site experiences and insights into the frontline work of Beijing's swift response to public complaints.
Documentary film reflects Beijing's innovative, people-centered urban governance: audience
