Government transparency aided by the Internet, report says

The Internet has contributed significantly to making the work of governmental departments more transparent over the past five years, a report released today by the China Internet Network Information Center said.

The government turned to the Web to disclose information in a big way from 2011 to 2014, with many departments creating official accounts on social media, including the popular WeChat messaging app and Weibo micro blogs, the report said.

The report, which reviewed Internet developments and the industry's influence over the past five years, said the number of government WeChat accounts now exceeds 100,000 and the number of government micro-bloggers has reached about 280,000.

Additionally, 96 percent of governmental departments have provided residents with online services, improving work efficiency and offering more public convenience, the report said.

Departments also started publicizing policies, laws and rules on the Internet and soliciting public opinion. By the end of 2014, they had reported receiving more than 120,000 responses, it said.