(7) The right to be heard

Citizens' freedom of speech has been fully guaranteed. In recent years, the Internet has become a new channel for citizens to exercise their right to be heard. By the end of 2010 China's netizen population had reached 457 million, and the Internet penetration rate had reached 34.3 percent, higher than the world average. China boasts 5.52 million websites, millions of bulletin board systems (BBS) and 295 million blog users. Statistical sampling shows that Chinese netizens issue over three million statements a day on the Internet, and over 66 percent of Chinese netizens often issue statements of views and claims freely on the Internet. Chinese leaders often get on the Internet to learn about public sentiment, and communicate with the netizens online. Soliciting views via the Internet has become a common practice of governments at all levels. The proposals collected from the Internet amount to several million every year.

Press and publishing undertakings have been further developed. In the past two years the State Council has completed the revision of the Regulations on the Administration of Publication and the Regulations on the Administration of Audio and Video Publications; the General Administration of Press and Publications has promulgated the Measures for the Administration of Press Cards and the Measures for the Administration of Correspondent Bureaus of Newspapers and Periodicals to protect the legitimate rights and interests of news media and reporters; the printed sheets for books, periodicals and newspapers totaled 270.114 billion, with 330,000 titles of books and 2,056 newspapers.

(8) The right to oversee

Citizens' right of democratic supervision has been further guaranteed. The National People's Congress and its Standing Committee fully exercise the function and power to supervise the implementation of the Constitution and laws and comprehensively promote the protection and realization of the people's rights. In the past two years the NPC Standing Committee has heard and examined 20 special work reports made by the central government, Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuratorate. It conducted inspections on the enforcement of nine laws, including the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Women. The Standing Committee carried out special investigations and surveys on the implementation of some major public investment projects as well as on important issues concerning the formulation of China's 12th Five-year Plan. It held special consultations on work reports on the state final accounts, national food security and deepening of reform in the medical and health care system. The Standing Committee also made a resolution on coping with climate change. It filed and reviewed 3,000 regulatory documents, including administrative regulations, local regulations and judicial interpretations. The democratic supervision mechanism of the CPPCC has been improved, and democratic supervision has become increasingly effective.

The channels for people to make complaints in the form of letters and visits have been broadened. The State Bureau for Letters and Calls has established a nationwide complaint information system featuring interconnection, interworking and resource sharing, and promoted and regulated various channels for making complaints, such as the Internet, hotlines, Green Post, and video conferences. The system of soliciting suggestions from the people has been gradually popularized across the country. Party and government leaders read letters from the people and receive visits by them on a regular basis. The system in which Party and government leaders, deputies to Party congresses and people's congresses, and CPPCC members take the initiative to contact people who have made complaints through letters and visits is being improved step by step.