Complaint policy 'crucial'

Senior officials have been asked to meet with petitioners about their complaints to help reduce social disputes and unrest.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council have jointly published three documents that urge top officials at all levels of government to regularly receive visitors with complaints in a bid to resolve disputes.

"It is important to have Party and government chiefs show up to deal with social disputes, because they have a most comprehensive understanding of local situation and are in the most powerful position to make solutions to the complaints," said Li Chengyan, head of Peking University's Clean Government Research Center.