BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's National People's Congress (NPC) will open an official online petition platform to improve petitioning procedures, the general office of the NPC standing committee, China's top legislature, said on Thursday.

Aiming to make the online platform a major petitioning channel, the NPC pledges to reply to and handle petition letters online in a timely manner.

Petitioning, also known as "letters and calls," is China's administrative system for hearing public complaints and grievances.

Petitioners can log on to www.npc.gov.cn to submit their petitions.