Most government websites are up to service standards; some to be closed

Ninety-six percent of government websites have been successful in providing useful information and services to the public in a timely manner, according to the results of a spot check released recently by the State Council.

That's up from 85 percent found in a 2016 spot check, the General Office of the State Council said.

All the websites checked in 22 provinces and regions, including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Zhejiang province, were up to standard.

In 2015, central authorities launched a movement to address four major public concerns about government websites: that the sites are not responsive, or that information is inaccurate, not useful or not delivered in a timely manner.

A guideline released by the General Office said "zombie" or "sleeping" government websites that serve no one will be shut down.

From April to June this year, 300 people were held accountable for substandard websites.

Among those, one lost a job, two received warnings from the Party, seven were given new positions and 68 were criticized in a circulated notice.

The office said that although websites had been improved, issues now arose on social media, as many governments established their accounts on WeChat and Sina Weibo, and some launched their own mobile applications.

"The apps of some governments haven't been updated for a long time. The information published on social media accounts was not serious enough, or replies to queries from the public were perfunctory - some even shocking and ridiculous - which has a negative impact on the government's image and credibility," it said.

In May, when two counseling messages were sent to the WeChat account of the Guichi district government in Anhui province, it replied "Nobody thinks you're dumb when you don't talk," and "I thought I heard a swarm of mosquitoes buzzing."

The district government later explained that the account broke down so the replies came from automatic reply software.

The office said governments nationwide have been told to thoroughly investigate problems and rectify or close the accounts with problems.