Published by ChinaMNC · Zitong

A Foreign Founder's Guide to Accessing Sichuan Government Information

Practical guidance for foreign entrepreneurs on how to obtain government information from Sichuan Province, including proactive disclosures and formal requests.

Why Government Information Matters for Foreign Founders

When setting up or running a company in Sichuan, foreign founders often need official documents—regulations, approval records, policy notices, or inspection results. The Sichuan Provincial People's Government provides a structured way to access such information. This guide explains how the system works, based on the official government information disclosure guide.

Proactive Disclosure: What the Government Publishes on Its Own

Under the principles of fairness, legality, and convenience, the government proactively releases information that affects public interests or requires broad awareness. This includes information that laws and regulations mandate for disclosure. The scope is regularly expanded in line with higher-level directives.

Key Categories of Proactive Disclosure

• Leadership and structure: Provincial government leaders and their responsibilities, the setup and main duties of government bodies, and the government's work rules.
• Regulations and normative documents: Provincial government rules and normative documents issued by the provincial government and its General Office.
• Work reports and meetings: Government work reports, important meetings, and information on leaders' attendance at major official activities.
• Planning and statistics: Economic and social development plans, special plans, regional plans, related policies, and statistical information.
• Administrative actions: Administrative licensing, penalties, compulsory measures, and other external management services.
• Financial information: Budgets and final accounts, government centralized procurement, and administrative fees.
• Major projects: Approval and implementation status of significant construction projects.
• Livelihood issues: Policies and measures on poverty alleviation, education, healthcare, social security, and employment promotion; emergency plans, early warnings, and responses to public incidents; supervision and inspection of environmental protection, public health, work safety, food and drug safety, and product quality.
• Personnel matters: Appointment and removal of provincial government personnel, and civil servant recruitment.
• Other mandated information: Any other government information that laws, regulations, or national rules require to be proactively disclosed.

Where to Find Proactively Disclosed Information

The government uses multiple channels: the Sichuan Provincial People's Government Gazette, the provincial government portal website, social media accounts (such as "Sichuan Release" on Sina Weibo and WeChat, and the "Sichuan Provincial People's Government Website" Toutiao account), and government press conferences. Information is also available via broadcast, television, and newspapers. Additionally, the government information disclosure acceptance and reading venues include the Sichuan Provincial Government Affairs Service and Public Resource Trading Service Center, the Sichuan Provincial Archives, and the Sichuan Provincial Library.

Timing of Proactive Disclosure

Information within the proactive disclosure scope is published within 20 working days from the date it is formed or changed. If laws or regulations provide otherwise, those provisions apply.

Requesting Information: How to Apply

If the information you need is not proactively disclosed, you can file a request with the Sichuan Provincial People's Government or its General Office. The General Office is the designated body to handle such requests, and the Provincial Government Information Disclosure Office specifically manages these matters.

Step 1: Identify the Right Authority

To get information quickly and accurately, first determine which agency holds the information. Visit the provincial government portal, click on "Institutional Functions" to review the duties and structure of provincial agencies, and then submit your request to the appropriate agency through its designated channel. For example:

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

Step 2: Submit Your Request

The General Office accepts requests submitted in person, by mail, or online. Here is how:

• In person: Go to the government information disclosure request acceptance point at the Provincial Government Affairs Service Center, collect the "Government Information Disclosure Application Form" (the Application Form), fill it out, and submit it on the spot.
• By mail: Send the completed Application Form along with a copy of your valid ID.
• Online: Register a user account on the Sichuan Government Affairs Service Network as prompted, log in, and submit your application online. Select the application type, enter your details (such as name and ID number), and you can track the progress.

Step 3: Fill Out the Application Form Correctly

You must complete the Application Form, which is available at the acceptance point or downloadable from the provincial government portal. Photocopies are valid. For online applications, fill it out directly on the website. If applying in person, show your valid ID; for mail, attach a copy; for online, complete identity verification on the Sichuan Government Affairs Service Network before submitting. Describe the information you need clearly—ideally provide the document name, reference number, or other details that help the agency locate it.

Step 4: What Happens After Submission

If your request is unclear, the agency will provide guidance and, within 7 working days of receiving it, notify you once of the corrections needed, explaining what to fix and a reasonable deadline. If you fail to correct without justification, your request may be considered withdrawn. The agency will respond within 20 working days of receiving your request, unless it can reply on the spot. If an extension is needed, the head of the information disclosure office may approve it and notify you in writing; the extension can be up to 20 working days. Time spent consulting third parties or other agencies does not count toward the deadline. If you request corrections, the response period starts from when the corrected request is received.

Possible Outcomes

If the information can be disclosed, the agency will provide it or tell you how and when to obtain it. If the information is not held by that agency, it will inform you and, if possible, identify the responsible agency and its contact details. If you make repeated requests for the same information after a previous response, the agency may decline to process it again. For information such as business registration or real estate registration data, special laws and regulations may apply, and the agency will inform you accordingly.

Fees and Limitations

Information processing fees may be charged in accordance with the national measures on government information disclosure information processing fees and provincial rules. The agency is not obligated to process or analyze existing information beyond providing it. If your request volume or frequency clearly exceeds a reasonable scope, the agency may ask you to justify it. If the justification is unreasonable, the request may not be processed; if reasonable but cannot be answered within the statutory period, the agency will set a reasonable delayed response time and inform you.

Other Channels for Complaints and Inquiries

For matters such as petitions, complaints, reports, consultations, or suggestions, use dedicated channels: the Governor's Mailbox, 12345 online message, or disciplinary inspection reporting. If you believe your lawful rights were infringed in the information disclosure process, you may complain to the higher-level administrative organ or the competent department for government information disclosure, or apply for administrative reconsideration or file 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.