China’s Beijing 12345 Hotline Citizen Service Centre is attracting attention for its technology-driven approach to urban governance, using digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve public service delivery.
Journalists from Global South countries expressed admiration for the facility during a visit to its headquarters in Beijing on Monday, highlighting its accessibility, efficiency and coordinated handling of public complaints.
The 24-hour, non-emergency platform connects residents and businesses with government departments and public utilities through calls, text messages, photographs, videos, sign language and multiple languages.
Each complaint or request is registered, tracked and directed to the appropriate department, while AI supports case assignment, quality control and data analysis.
The centre integrated more than 60 separate hotlines into one platform in 2019. It has since handled about 200 million cases involving individuals and businesses, with reported resolution and satisfaction rates exceeding 97 per cent.
Webster Clayeh, President of the Reporters Association of Liberia, praised its accessibility for persons with disabilities, while Fijian journalist Apenisa Waqairadovu highlighted its coordinated service delivery.
Ugandan journalist Jacky Achan also commended its inclusive approach, saying public services should be accessible to everyone.
Mark Longyen, an editor with the News Agency of Nigeria, said Nigeria could explore adapting the model to improve communication between citizens and public institutions.
CGTN correspondent Wang Hao said the lesson was not to replicate the system wholesale, but to adapt its principles to local conditions and use citizens’ feedback to improve governance.
