People's Daily Online releases data analysis report on Message Board for Leaders during 14th Five-Year Plan period

Fan Zhengwei, president of People's Daily Online, releases a data analysis report on the Message Board for Leaders of People's Daily Online during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) at an online mass work conference held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, March 20, 2026. (People's Daily Online/Fu Hao)

Fan Zhengwei, president of People's Daily Online, released a data analysis report on the Message Board for Leaders during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) on March 20.

The report was presented at an online mass work conference hosted by People's Daily Online in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Su Zheng, assistant to the dean and research fellow at the Institute of Digital Government and Governance at Tsinghua University, which contributed to the drafting of the report, provided an interpretation.

According to the report, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the number of valid public messages submitted through the Message Board for Leaders surged by 178.8 percent compared with the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020). More than 3.8 million valid messages received responses and were handled by local authorities and government departments.

In his remarks, Fan outlined three notable changes in the messages during the period.

First, consumption-related suggestions have become an increasingly prominent aspect of people's livelihoods, reflecting strong public support for expanding domestic demand and boosting consumption. In 2025, the proportion of messages related to consumption increased by 21.3 percentage points compared with 2023, the largest rise among all sectors.

Second, messages concerning workers' rights and interests have grown significantly, highlighting public concerns amid increasingly diversified forms of employment. The proportion of messages from enterprise employees rose from 6.2 percent in 2021 to 11.7 percent in 2025.

"This shift is closely linked to the rapid development of new forms of business and increasingly diverse employment models, and reflects workers' growing expectations for stronger protection of their rights and interests," Fan noted.

Su Zheng, assistant to the dean and research fellow at the Institute of Digital Government and Governance at Tsinghua University, interprets a data analysis report on the Message Board for Leaders of People's Daily Online during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) at an online mass work conference in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, March 20, 2026. (People's Daily Online/Fu Hao)

Third, the share of messages related to housing and urban-rural development has declined markedly, demonstrating the solid progress made in safeguarding people's livelihoods. In 2025, the proportion of such messages dropped by 12.7 percentage points compared with 2021.

According to the report, the decline reflects the continuous improvement of China's housing security system and tangible enhancements in urban and rural living environments.

Citing relevant research data, Fan pointed out that nearly 80 percent of English-language academic studies on China's responsive governance have drawn on data from the Message Board for Leaders and the Renmin Jianyi (People's Suggestions) platform on People's Daily Online.

"This suggests, from one perspective, that the interactive platforms we have built on small screens are becoming vivid illustrations of the governance of China. The distinctive strengths of China's governance model are being continuously demonstrated and strengthened through the resonance between the Party's commitment and the people's aspirations," he said.

Photo shows the cover of a data analysis report on the Message Board for Leaders of People's Daily Online during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).