Political advisor calls for more exchanges between gov't, Internet users

BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese political advisor said Wednesday the government should communicate more with Internet users and make better use of the online platform to promote democracy.

The fourth plenary meeting of the Third Session of the 11th National Committee of  the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2010.(Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

The government could post on the Internet their views on issues of widespread concern and respond to online feedbacks, suggested Zhou Tianhong, member of the National Committee of the 11th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body.

At a plenary meeting of the CPPCC National Committee's ongoing annual session, Zhou suggested that government officials regularly meet online with Internet users and answer their questions.

He also said government bodies should timely release information on budget, expenditure, and the handling of major events, among others.

Currently, information on the websites of some government departments is "far from meeting the public's demand," said Zhou, also vice president of Jinan University in south China's Guangdong Province.

More and more Chinese are participating in political affairs through the Internet, which makes voices online more influential, he said.

China has the world's largest Internet population of 384 million by the end of 2009.