Original
Rising Engagement and Substantive Responsiveness: 13 Years of Online Petitioning in China
Abstract
Abstract The Chinese government has invested heavily in online petition platforms to channel public grievances, yet systematic longitudinal evidence on citizen–state interactions within these venues remains limited. This research report presents nationwide evidence showing that both public participation and government responsiveness through e-petition institutions have increased markedly since Xi Jinping took office. Analysing more than four million citizen appeals submitted to the country’s largest online petition portal, Message Board for Leaders, from January 2011 to January 2024, we find a twelvefold rise in petition volume and a fivefold increase in users, largely driven by urban residents in eastern provinces. Appeals have also diversified, with notable growth in housing-related issues and more strategic appeals directed at Party secretaries. Meanwhile, local governments have raised response rates from 50 per cent to 98 per cent, shortened average wait times from 176 to 19 days, and increased the substantive resolution rate from 17 per cent to 31 per cent over the past decade.
中文
参与上升与实质性回应：中国在线请愿十三年
摘要
中国政府已投入大量资源建设在线请愿平台以疏导公众不满，但关于这些场域内公民—国家互动的系统性纵向证据仍然有限。本研究报告提供全国性证据，表明自习近平就任以来，通过电子请愿制度实现的公众参与和政府回应均显著上升。我们分析了2011年1月至2024年1月期间提交至全国最大在线请愿门户——领导留言板——的逾四百万件公民诉求，发现请愿量增至原来的十二倍，用户数增至原来的五倍，主要由东部省份的城市居民推动。诉求类型也趋于多样化，住房相关问题显著增加，针对党委书记的更具策略性的诉求也有所增多。与此同时，地方政府将回应率从50%提高到98%，将平均等待时间从176天缩短至19天，并在过去十年中将实质性解决率从17%提高到31%。
关键词
在线请愿、政府回应性、数字治理、中国政治、公民参与、领导留言板、信访、国家—社会关系