National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2016-2020)

(5) Rights of expression and supervision

Giving more space to public opinion, increasing the means and channels of expression, improving the check and supervision system for the operation of power, and protecting in accordance with the law the citizens' rights of free expression and democratic supervision.

? Protecting the citizens' freedom of speech on the internet in accordance with the law. Services shall be further improved for netizens to express their opinions, and great store shall be set on social sentiments and public opinions as expressed on the internet.

? Establishing a registration system for complaints about and reports of unlawful acts by state organs at all levels, smoothing out such supervisory channels as informants' letter box, complaint email and hotline, so as to give full play to public supervision.

? Improving the regulations regarding the people's complaints and promoting law-based handling of such complaints. Mechanisms shall be improved to separate litigations from complaints, and bring to conclusion all petitions relating to legal proceedings lodged by way of letters or personal visits to relevant government departments. A platform integrating accusation, offense reporting, appeal, complaint, consultation and search shall be built, online processing of complaints shall be encouraged, and complaints shall be classified and handled in accordance with the law. Citizens' rational and lawful appeals shall be resolved in accordance with legal provisions and procedures.

? Amending the Administrative Reconsideration Law, and protecting citizens' and social organizations' rights to supervise administrative bodies by applying for administrative reconsideration. Oversight shall be strengthened on civil servants' violations of law and discipline.

? Giving full play to supervision by newspapers, magazines, radio, television and other types of traditional media, increasing the interaction between traditional media and new media like the internet, and highlighting law-based online supervision. Protection in accordance with the law shall be extended to the rights of news agencies and their staff to information, interview, publication, criticism and supervision.

? Improving the system of constitutional supervision by the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee, and the mechanism of procedures for the interpretation of the Constitution. The legislative recording and review system and capability building shall be improved, and all normative documents shall be brought into the scope of such recording and review. All normative documents that violate the Constitution or laws shall be abrogated or corrected. Systems shall be improved by which the people's congresses discuss and decide on major issues, and governments at all levels report to the people's congresses at the same level before making major policy decisions.

? Building a platform of consultation for the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and enriching the contents and forms of consultation. Targeting issues bearing on overall social and economic development and the people's immediate interests, CPPCC will conduct extensive consultation. The mechanisms of organizing democratic supervision, safeguarding related rights and interests, providing feedbacks, and facilitating communication and coordination shall be improved.

? Improving auditing supervision. The auditing management system conducive to exercising the right of auditing supervision independently and in accordance with the law shall be improved, and an auditing personnel management system with distinctive professional features shall be established, so as to form a system of auditing supervision commensurate to the modernization of a national governance system and capacity. Full coverage of auditing shall be endeavored over public funds, state-owned assets and resources, as well as leading officials' performance of economic duties.