A senior official of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) on Sunday underlined the importance of petition handling, saying it serves as a tie which binds the government and the people together.

"The government's proper handling of petitions (from the people) could help strengthen its relationship with the people, reflect social reality and remove social conflicts, thus playing an indispensable role in building a socialist harmonious society," said Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

After hearing reports by representatives of petition handlers across the country, Zhou, also a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, a state councilor and minister of public security, pointed out that the handling of petitions faces even greater challenges when China is experiencing fast economic and social development, a time when social disputes can easily increase.

Zhou urged all petition handlers to fully implement the regulations on petition handling, and to explore how to manage the process in the long term.

The petition system of China allows those who receive wrongful and unfair treatment, particularly from officials and law enforcers, to seek justice through special government offices by sending them petition letters.

Source: Xinhua