200 million calls, one number: Beijing's city hotline turned complaints into a map for fixing the city

When something goes wrong in Beijing — a water pipe, a bus route, a hospital appointment — residents can dial 12345, the city's single number for everyday problems with utilities, transport, healthcare and housing. Forum organisers say the hotline has now handled around 200 million requests from residents and businesses. Since 2019 it has grown from a simple call centre into a service hub that uses data and AI to spot the problems that keep coming back, so the city can fix the cause, not just answer the call. This week, city leaders from around the world are gathering in Beijing for a two-day forum to share what worked, with trips out to see the hotline and local services in action.