Photo released on Dec. 11, 2012 shows Xi Jinping (2nd L), general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission (CMC), visits a villager's home in Huanglong Village of Shunde, south China's Guangdong Province. Xi made an inspection tour in Guangdong from Dec. 7 to 11. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)By Jia Xiaoguang, Sina English
The 5-day inspection tour to Guangdong, S China by the CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping from Dec. 7 to 11 has sparked off waves of enthusiastic discussion, in which the blooming Internet media unleashes the most vigorous ever voice.
Before Xi's arrival at the Lotus Hill in Shenzhen on Dec.8, a local press photographer had been waited there for three days. His patience was finally rewarded with a picture of Xi taken by his iPhone4.
With the rapid development of new media, primarily the Internet, the traditional landscape for social discourse has been somewhat reshaped. The coverage of state leaders has ceased to be monopolized by official media.
The gap between the leadership and the grassroots citizens is also narrowed and even bridged just due to the advent of new media. Xi's tour in Guangdong is characteristic of a low-profile visit featuring a man-of-the-people style, which further facilitate the information circulation on the Internet.
More important might be the Internet as the quickest way of airing opinions. Xi's pledges to carry forward reform and opening-up and gain more "positive energy" have since become a hot topic among netizens.
"At the critical juncture of history, it is nothing but reform that can push forward our undertakings. China's reform will never lose its momentum as long as the people's well-being is always put high on the agenda of the government." a netizen commented.