State organs cannot release government information touching on national secrets, commercial
secrets and personal privacy. However, in cases where the consent of the rightful party is
obtained, or the administrative organ determines that not releasing certain government
information touching on commercial secrecy or personal privacy could do serious harm to the
public interest, release may be made.
Chapter III: Methods and Procedures for Disclosure
Article 15: State organs should release that government information designated for release by
initiative through means most convenient for public knowledge, such as government
communiqués, government Websites, press conferences, radio and television.
Article 16: People’s governments at various levels should designate areas within national
archives and public libraries where government information may be accessed, and prepare
the appropriate facilities and equipment for enabling citizens, legal persons or other
organizations to obtain government information conveniently.
State organs may, according to their needs, establish public reading rooms, material request
points, information message boards, electronic information screens and other areas or
facilities for the release of government information.
State organs should provide to national archives and public libraries on a timely basis that
).
information designated for release on initiative (
主动公开的政府信息
Article 17: Government information generated by state organs shall be released under the
responsibility of that state organ; government information obtained from citizens, legal
persons or other organizations shall be released under the responsibility of that state organ
keeping the information on file. The purview of release of government information is
determined in other laws and regulations (
).
法律、法规对政府信息公开的权限另有规定的，从
其规定
Article 18: Government information falling under the scope of release by initiative should be
released within 20 days of its date of origination or update. The purview of release of
government information is determined in other laws and regulations (
).
公开的权限另有规定的，从其规定
法律、法规对政府信息
Article 19: State organs should prepare and publicize guides for government information
) and catalogs of government information on file, which are to be
release (
updated in a timely manner.
政府信息公开指南
Guides on government information release should include types of government information,
their systems for arrangement, methods for obtaining information, the names of government
information release organizations, their office addresses, office hours, contact telephones, fax
numbers and electronic mailing addresses etc.
Government information release catalogs should include indexes, names, content summaries,
dates and other such content for government information.
Article 20: Citizens, legal persons or other organizations who apply with state organs to obtain
government information according to the prescriptions of Article 13 [of this ordinance] should
submit their requests in writing (this can include digital document forms); applicants who
have difficulty making written requests may raise [these requests] orally, to be submitted in
writing on their behalf through the state organ to which there are submitting their request.
Requests for government information should including the following: