Published by ChinaMNC · Litang

How Foreign Founders in Sichuan Can Access Government Information: A Practical Guide

A plain-English walkthrough of Sichuan Province's government information disclosure rules, covering what is published proactively, how foreign founders can request records, and how the application process works.

Why Government Information Access Matters for Foreign Founders

For foreign founders setting up or running a company in Sichuan, access to official government information can be essential. Whether you need to understand licensing rules, check planning documents, or verify regulatory requirements, knowing how the provincial government publishes and shares information is a practical advantage. Sichuan Province has issued a guide explaining how it provides government information services, based on the national Regulation on Open Government Information (State Council Order No. 711, referred to here as the Regulation).

The stated purpose is to help citizens, legal persons, and other organizations obtain government information lawfully, improve transparency, support a rule-of-law government, and let government information serve the public and economic activity. The principles guiding disclosure are fairness, equity, legality, and convenience.

What Sichuan Publishes Proactively

Sichuan proactively discloses information that affects public interests, that the public needs to know about, or that requires public participation in decisions, as well as other information required by law, regulations, rules, and national provisions. The province says it continues to expand proactive disclosure in line with higher-level directives. The main categories include:

• Provincial government leadership and division of responsibilities, the structure and main duties of government bodies, and the provincial government's working rules.
• Provincial government rules and normative documents issued by the provincial government and its General Office.
• Government work reports, important provincial meetings, and information on leaders' attendance at major official activities.
• Economic and social development plans, special plans, regional plans and related policies, plus economic and social statistics.
• Administrative licensing, administrative penalties, administrative coercion, and other external management and service matters.
• Fiscal budgets and final accounts, centralized government procurement, and administrative fee information.
• Approval and implementation status of major construction projects.
• Major livelihood areas: policies and implementation in poverty alleviation, education, healthcare, social security, and employment promotion; emergency plans, early warnings, and responses for public incidents; and supervision and inspection of environmental protection, public health, work safety, food and drug safety, and product quality.
• Personnel appointments and removals, and civil service recruitment.
• Other information that laws, regulations, rules, and national provisions require to be disclosed.

Where Information Is Published

Proactive disclosures appear through the Sichuan Provincial People's Government Gazette, the provincial government portal website, the "Sichuan Release" Sina Weibo and WeChat accounts, the "Sichuan Provincial People's Government Website" Toutiao account, provincial government press conferences, and other channels such as radio, television, and newspapers. 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, which serve as information disclosure acceptance and reading venues.

Timing of Publication

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

Requesting Information That Is Not Proactively Published

Beyond proactively disclosed material, citizens, legal persons, and other organizations (applicants) may request relevant government information from the Sichuan Provincial People's Government and its General Office. The General Office accepts applications submitted in person, by letter, and online, and handles them according to the application process.

Step 1: Identify the Right Authority

To get accurate and timely results, applicants should first determine which authority holds the information. On the provincial government portal, the "Institutional Functions" section explains the main duties and structure of provincial administrative bodies. Applicants should then approach the appropriate authority using its designated application channel and follow its usage notes. Examples given include:

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

Under the Regulation, the General Office lawfully accepts applications for information held by the provincial government and the General Office, and the provincial government information disclosure office handles the specifics.

Step 2: Submit the Application

There are three submission methods:

• In person. The provincial government services center has an application acceptance point where applicants can collect the Government Information Disclosure Application Form, complete it, and submit it on the spot.
• By letter. Applicants send the form by post, attaching a copy of a valid identity document.
• Online. Applicants register on the Sichuan Government Services Network, log in, select the application type, and enter details such as name and ID number. Progress can then be checked online.

Before applying, applicants are encouraged to search the proactive disclosure channels first. Matters involving petitions, complaints, reports, consultations, or suggestions should go through dedicated channels such as the Governor's Mailbox, the 12345 online message service, or disciplinary reporting channels. In-person applicants must show valid ID; online applicants must register and complete identity verification before submitting.

Step 3: Describe the Information Clearly

Requests should point to specific information. Applicants are advised to provide the document name, document number, or other identifying details that help the authority locate it. If a request is unclear, the authority will guide the applicant and, within 7 working days of receipt, notify the applicant once of the corrections needed, explaining what is required and a reasonable correction period. If the corrected request still does not identify specific information, the authority will inform the applicant in writing that it cannot be processed. If the applicant fails to correct without justified reason, the request is treated as abandoned.

Step 4: Understand How Responses Work

Where the requested information can be disclosed, the authority provides it or explains how, where, and when to obtain it. If the information is not the authority's responsibility, it will tell the applicant and explain why; if the responsible authority can be identified, it will provide that authority's name and contact details. Repeat requests for the same information already answered will not be processed again. For information such as business registration or real estate registration records governed by special legal provisions, applicants are directed to follow those provisions.

Unless an answer can be given on the spot, the authority replies within 20 working days of receiving the request. Extensions are possible with the consent of the person in charge of the information disclosure office and written notice to the applicant, for a maximum of 20 additional working days. Time spent consulting third parties or other authorities does not count toward the deadline, and corrected applications are timed from receipt of the correction.

If the volume or frequency of requests clearly exceeds a reasonable level, the authority may ask for justification. Unreasonable requests may be refused; reasonable requests that cannot be answered within the statutory period will receive a reasonable delayed timeline. The authority provides information as it is held and is not obliged to process or analyze existing information. It will choose the form of provision based on the applicant's request and its actual holdings; if the requested form risks harm to the information carrier or excessive cost, it may provide electronic data or another suitable form, or arrange for inspection and copying.

In line with the Regulation and national rules on information processing fees, fees may be charged for handling applications. Applicants who believe their rights are infringed may complain or report to a higher administrative body or the information disclosure supervisory department, or apply for administrative reconsideration or bring an administrative lawsuit.

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