Published by ChinaMNC · Shen

Liaocheng Government Information Disclosure Guide: What Foreign Founders Need to Know

A practical overview of how Liaocheng's municipal government discloses information, how foreign founders can request documents, and what limits apply, based on the city's official disclosure guide.

Why Government Information Access Matters for Foreign Founders

For foreign founders setting up or running a company in Liaocheng, access to official government information can help clarify local rules, procedures and policy documents. The Liaocheng Municipal People's Government publishes a guide explaining how citizens, legal persons and other organizations can obtain government information in a timely and accurate way. The guide is issued under the national Regulation on Open Government Information (State Council Order No. 492, amended by Order No. 711).

This article summarizes the key practical points from that guide for foreign founders who need to understand how local disclosure works, where to look, and how to file a request.

What Information the Government Proactively Discloses

Policy and regulatory documents

Proactive disclosure includes local regulations published as municipal government documents, government rules and documents formulated by the municipal government, and normative documents issued in the name of the office or jointly with other departments.

Administrative and public-interest information

The guide lists several categories published proactively:

• Administrative and institutional fee items, their basis and standards
• Catalogs, standards and implementation of centralized government procurement projects
• Approval and implementation of major construction projects
• Supervision and inspection in environmental protection, public health, work safety, food and drug safety, and product quality
• Policies and measures on poverty alleviation, education, healthcare, social security and employment promotion, and their implementation
• Emergency plans, early-warning information and response measures for public incidents

Where to Find Information

Official website and new media

The primary channel is the Liaocheng Municipal People's Government website. The guide also points to the municipal government press conference channel and to official social media accounts, including the "Liaocheng Release" Weibo account and the WeChat account "liaochengfabu".

Reading rooms and archives

A government information reading point is available at the Municipal Archives, located at No. 16 Wenhui Road, Jiangbei Shuicheng Tourism Resort, Liaocheng. The archive reading telephone is 0635-8262321. Opening hours are 8:30–12:00 and 14:00–17:30 from October 1 to April 30, and 8:30–12:00 and 14:30–18:00 from May 1 to September 30.

Timing of Proactive Disclosure

Information that the office proactively discloses is published within 20 working days from the date it is formed or changed. Where laws or regulations set a different deadline, those provisions apply.

Requesting Information Not Proactively Disclosed

Citizens, legal persons and other organizations may apply for government information beyond what is proactively published. In general, agencies do not provide information that requires processing or analysis of existing government information, except where separable treatment is possible under Article 37 of the Regulation.

How to submit a request

Applications can be submitted through the online application section of the Liaocheng government website. Applicants should complete the Liaocheng Municipal People's Government Information Disclosure Application Form, available at the reception point or downloadable from the government information disclosure section of the website.

The form should clearly state the applicant's name or entity name, contact details, and the preferred method and format for receiving the information. The description of the requested information should be precise, ideally including the document name, document number or other identifying features that help the agency search.

For in-person applications, a valid identity document must be presented. For postal applications, a copy of the valid identity document should be attached. For online applications, a scanned copy or photograph of the identity document should be uploaded.

Where to send requests

Letters should be sent to the Government Affairs Disclosure Office of the Liaocheng Municipal People's Government Office, No. 24 Dongchang West Road, Liaocheng, with "Government Information Disclosure Application" marked in the lower left corner of the envelope. The postal code is 252000. Office hours are 8:30–12:00 and 14:30–18:00 on working days from May 1 to September 30, and 8:30–12:00 and 14:00–17:30 on working days from October 1 to April 30.

Fees and Processing Times

Information processing fees are charged in accordance with the State Council General Office notice on the management of government information disclosure processing fees (Guobanhan [2020] No. 109) and the Shandong Provincial Government Office notice on related matters (Luzhengbanzi [2020] No. 179).

Where an agency can answer a request on the spot, it should do so. Otherwise, it should reply within 20 working days of receiving the request. If an extension is needed, the head of the agency's disclosure office must approve it and notify the applicant in writing; the extension may not exceed 20 working days.

If the number or frequency of requests clearly exceeds a reasonable range, the agency may ask the applicant to explain the reasons. If the reasons are unreasonable, the agency will inform the applicant that the request will not be processed. If the reasons are reasonable but a reply cannot be given within the statutory period, the agency will set a reasonable delayed reply period and inform the applicant.

What May Not Be Disclosed

The guide sets out categories of information that are not disclosed:

• Information lawfully determined to be a state secret, information whose disclosure is prohibited by law or administrative regulations, and information whose disclosure could endanger national security, public security, economic security or social stability
• Information involving trade secrets, personal privacy or other lawful rights of third parties, unless the third party agrees or non-disclosure would significantly affect the public interest
• Process information such as discussion records, drafts, correspondence and reports formed in the course of administrative functions, and administrative enforcement case files, unless laws, regulations or rules require disclosure

Practical Takeaways for Foreign Founders

Foreign founders should first check the official website and the listed new media channels before filing a request. When filing, use the official application form, describe the document precisely, and provide valid identification. Keep in mind the 20-working-day reply period and the possibility of a further 20-working-day extension. Requests for analysis or processed information are generally not provided, and some categories are excluded from disclosure.

The municipal government office is the department responsible for advancing, guiding, coordinating and supervising government information disclosure across the city.

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

Foreign founders who need help registering and operating a company in China can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp or WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535.