Published by ChinaMNC · Lianshanzhuangzuyaozu

China's Government Information Disclosure Platform: What Foreign Founders Need to Know

A practical guide for foreign founders on how China's government information disclosure system works, what it publishes, and how to use it when researching regulations and government processes.

Why Government Information Disclosure Matters to Foreign Founders

When setting up or running a company in China, foreign founders often need to check official rules, policy plans, and agency reports. China's government information disclosure platform, hosted on the central government website, is a key place to look. It organizes the publication of government information and links users to annual reports from many agencies and regions. For foreign founders, understanding how this platform is structured can make it easier to find official documents rather than relying on secondhand summaries.

What the Platform Contains

Government Information Disclosure Rules

The platform lists a series of documents that set the rules for how government information is disclosed. These include the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Government Information Disclosure, dated 15 April 2019. It also lists notices and interpretations from the General Office of the State Council and its government information and open government affairs office. Topics covered include:

• Measures for formulating disclosure rules for public enterprises and public institutions (notice dated 21 December 2020)
• Measures for managing fees for handling government information disclosure requests (notice dated 1 December 2020)
• Guidance on hearing administrative reconsideration cases involving government information disclosure requests (notice dated 4 January 2022)
• Work on centralized and dynamically updated publication of rules (notice dated 29 October 2021)
• The format for annual reports on government information disclosure work (notice dated 29 September 2021)
• Standards for government information disclosure platforms (notice dated 3 December 2019)
• Interpretations on handling disclosure requests after institutional reform (11 February 2019)
• Interpretations on channels for receiving disclosure requests (24 October 2017)
• Interpretations on the responsible body for replying to disclosure requests (24 October 2017)
• Interpretations on filling in items in annual reports (24 October 2017)
• Interpretations on delivering decisions on disclosure requests (24 October 2017)
• Interpretations on the boundary between government information disclosure and business inquiry matters (24 October 2017)

These documents show that China has a formal process for requesting government information. Foreign founders who need an official document can use this framework to understand how requests are received, who replies, and how decisions are delivered.

National Economic and Social Development Plans

The platform provides access to China's national economic and social development plans. It lists the outlines of the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan, the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan and the 2035 long-range objectives, the Thirteenth, Twelfth, Eleventh, and Tenth Five-Year Plans. For foreign founders, these plans can indicate broad policy directions, though the platform itself only lists the documents rather than summarizing their contents.

Sector-Specific Plans

A section on special plans lists State Council documents on topics such as special education, intellectual property protection and use, national fitness, consumption expansion, national health, and the revitalization and development of traditional Chinese medicine. These are framed as Fifteenth Five-Year Plan actions and plans. Founders in relevant sectors may find it useful to check whether a plan touches their industry.

Local Development Plans

The platform links to local development plans for provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Tibet, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and Xinjiang. Foreign founders choosing a location for a company can use these links to find regional planning documents.

Annual Reports on Government Information Disclosure

The platform publishes annual reports on government information disclosure work for multiple years, including 2021 through 2025. These reports are organized into several groups:

• Annual reports from provincial-level governments, covering the same list of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities
• Annual reports from systems under vertical leadership, such as the People's Bank system, customs system, tax system, financial regulatory system, securities regulatory system, meteorological system, food and strategic reserves system, tobacco system, railway system, civil aviation system, postal system, mine safety supervision system, fire and rescue system, and foreign exchange system
• Annual reports from State Council departments, covering a long list of ministries, commissions, administrations, and bureaus, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Civil Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, National Health Commission, Ministry of Veterans Affairs, Ministry of Emergency Management, People's Bank of China, National Audit Office, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, General Administration of Customs, State Taxation Administration, State Administration for Market Regulation, National Financial Regulatory Administration, China Securities Regulatory Commission, National Radio and Television Administration, General Administration of Sport, National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration, National Bureau of Statistics, China National Intellectual Property Administration, China International Development Cooperation Agency, National Healthcare Security Administration, National Government Offices Administration, National Press and Publication Administration, National Copyright Administration, China Meteorological Administration, National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, National Energy Administration, National Data Administration, State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, National Immigration Administration, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, National Railway Administration, Civil Aviation Administration of China, State Post Bureau, National Cultural Heritage Administration, National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, National Mine Safety Administration, National Fire and Rescue Administration, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, National Medical Products Administration, National Civil Service Administration, National Archives Administration, National Administration of State Secrets Protection, China Film Administration, and China Earthquake Administration.

Earlier years, such as 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, follow a similar structure, with some differences in the agencies listed. For example, the 2022 reports include the former China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission system, while later years list the National Financial Regulatory Administration. These changes reflect adjustments in government structure.

How Foreign Founders Can Use the Platform

The platform is a directory and search tool rather than a single explanatory guide. It includes a search function with fields for title, document number, date of formation, and date of publication. If a search returns no results, the site suggests checking the input, simplifying the search terms, or trying similar or common words. Foreign founders can use these tips when looking for official documents. The platform also notes that it is operated under a website identification code and registration numbers, which can help users confirm they are on the official site.

For practical purposes, foreign founders should treat the platform as a starting point. It can help locate the underlying regulations and annual reports, but it does not itself provide legal advice or explain how specific rules apply to a company. Founders should read the original documents and, where needed, seek professional advice.

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