The city government of Yantai in Shandong Province, east China, has expanded its offices into the Internet, in a move to be getting closer with the general public and helping them solve their problems.

The "Internet dialogue," co-launched in May by the Yantai municipal government and www.jiaodong.net, an influential local website, has started to provide a good channel for citizens to lodge their complaints directly to related offices.

All sections with the municipal government involve themselves in the "Internet dialogue" by assigning special personnel to surf the Internet for problems raised by the public everyday. The information will then be classified and related departments demanded to solve them in a set time limit.

According to a municipal government official, the administrative efficiency of all government sections was greatly improved thanks to the "Internet dialogue."

"Citizens' difficulties are there for every Internet user to see and this really brings us huge pressures. We will feel ashamed if we fail to handle those problems efficiently." he said.

The "Internet dialogue" received welcoming and positive comments from citizens. Up to now, around 3,900 problems were raised through this channel, of which over 3,500 were dealt with in time, the official said.

(People’s Daily December 15, 2003)