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Tweeting officials break the stereotype of aloofness
Source: Xinhua |
April 12, 2011, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ZHUANG Chunxian is famous as the most senior Chinese official to join the country's increasingly popular microblogging services.
But Zhang, secretary of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), signed off from his microblog account - t.qq.com/zhangchunxianlx - on March 18 and has not updated his space since.
"The exchange through microblogs will be suspended for some time, because I can't stay as focused as I was during the annual session of the National People's Congress held in Beijing," Zhang said in one of his last posts before he left for Urumqi, regional capital of Xinjiang.
That ended the 17-day sensation created by Zhang and speculation whether he could break away from the stereotype of straight-faced, nondescript Chinese officials. Zhang's followers had reached 329,703. Internet users continue to post comments on Zhang's last posting, despite lack of feedback.
Building trust
Zhang is among a group of tech-savvy Chinese officials who are eager to reach out to the public. But it's difficult for most of them to maintain an active microblog and more difficult to become a significant presence among the country's 457 million Internet users.
Observers say officials' active microblogging will help curb growing public distrust of government officials by shortening the psychological distance between their citizenry.
"Officials are sort of secretive in the eyes of most people. This is because officials in China are administrators and politicians but seldom public figures," said Wu Jinliang, deputy head of the Party School run by the Zhejiang Provincial CPC Committee. "But once they start microblogging, the officials become public figures."
Wu said microblogging will fundamentally change the way the Chinese public interacts with officials.
On the first day Zhang launched his blog, interaction lasted until midnight as some Chinese Internet users called him "Brother Xian," while he said "good night" before logging off. It is rare for China's officials to interact informally with members of the public.
Decentralization
"The essence of microblog communication is decentralization. No blogger is superior to others. And this trend will trigger fundamental changes in Chinese society," said Ye Xiaowen, a well-known scholar and deputy chief of the Central Socialist Academy.
Today, most of China's official microbloggers come from the eastern coastal provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, according to a tally of the popular Internet portal Sina.com, which hosts China's largest microblogging site - Sina Weibo.
The Party School run by the Zhejiang Provincial CPC Committee recently opened a series of courses on Microblogging and Administration during its trainings for promising young officials.
The courses include the "Influence of microblogs," "How to microblog," and "Microblogs and Public Opinion." Website operators are invited to give lectures and many officials use "Microblog changes everything," a book authored by Google China founding president Kai-fu Lee, as their textbook.
Cai Qi, 56, who is head of the organization department of the Zhejiang Provincial CPC Committee, has been keeping an active blog for a year. He has attracted 374,946 followers and answers a range of questions and complaints.
Cai said he started blogging out of personal interests but said managing the microblog must be done in a professional way. "Officials are not ordinary opinion leaders. They can't forget their identities whenever they speak. They should always bear that in mind," Cai told Xinhua.
Cai and other official bloggers were recently helping to keep the public calm by giving timely updates of radiation monitoring after Japan's nuclear leaks; they also refuted notions that sent Chinese residents rushing out in panic buying if iodized salt in the believe it could safeguard them from radioactive iodine.
But so far only a few officials like Cai have made much of an impact. The most popular Chinese bloggers are celebrities, scholars, critics, and business people.
Hu Jian, deputy chief for publicity with the Zhejiang Provincial CPC Committee, said he found it "extremely difficult" to become an opinion leader through microblogging. He said he researched extensively before starting a blog, to avoid embarrassment. "I am afraid of saying something wrong in front of so many intelligent and competent people," he said.
Wu Zhongmin, a professor of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said the future of official microblogging is uncertain. "Some officials are too busy to get online frequently and others may not be interested."
He said microblogging will help shorten the distance between the public and the officials, but strides towards greater democracy are unlikely without systematic reforms.
But Zhang, secretary of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), signed off from his microblog account - t.qq.com/zhangchunxianlx - on March 18 and has not updated his space since.
"The exchange through microblogs will be suspended for some time, because I can't stay as focused as I was during the annual session of the National People's Congress held in Beijing," Zhang said in one of his last posts before he left for Urumqi, regional capital of Xinjiang.
That ended the 17-day sensation created by Zhang and speculation whether he could break away from the stereotype of straight-faced, nondescript Chinese officials. Zhang's followers had reached 329,703. Internet users continue to post comments on Zhang's last posting, despite lack of feedback.
Building trust
Zhang is among a group of tech-savvy Chinese officials who are eager to reach out to the public. But it's difficult for most of them to maintain an active microblog and more difficult to become a significant presence among the country's 457 million Internet users.
Observers say officials' active microblogging will help curb growing public distrust of government officials by shortening the psychological distance between their citizenry.
"Officials are sort of secretive in the eyes of most people. This is because officials in China are administrators and politicians but seldom public figures," said Wu Jinliang, deputy head of the Party School run by the Zhejiang Provincial CPC Committee. "But once they start microblogging, the officials become public figures."
Wu said microblogging will fundamentally change the way the Chinese public interacts with officials.
On the first day Zhang launched his blog, interaction lasted until midnight as some Chinese Internet users called him "Brother Xian," while he said "good night" before logging off. It is rare for China's officials to interact informally with members of the public.
Decentralization
"The essence of microblog communication is decentralization. No blogger is superior to others. And this trend will trigger fundamental changes in Chinese society," said Ye Xiaowen, a well-known scholar and deputy chief of the Central Socialist Academy.
Today, most of China's official microbloggers come from the eastern coastal provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, according to a tally of the popular Internet portal Sina.com, which hosts China's largest microblogging site - Sina Weibo.
The Party School run by the Zhejiang Provincial CPC Committee recently opened a series of courses on Microblogging and Administration during its trainings for promising young officials.
The courses include the "Influence of microblogs," "How to microblog," and "Microblogs and Public Opinion." Website operators are invited to give lectures and many officials use "Microblog changes everything," a book authored by Google China founding president Kai-fu Lee, as their textbook.
Cai Qi, 56, who is head of the organization department of the Zhejiang Provincial CPC Committee, has been keeping an active blog for a year. He has attracted 374,946 followers and answers a range of questions and complaints.
Cai said he started blogging out of personal interests but said managing the microblog must be done in a professional way. "Officials are not ordinary opinion leaders. They can't forget their identities whenever they speak. They should always bear that in mind," Cai told Xinhua.
Cai and other official bloggers were recently helping to keep the public calm by giving timely updates of radiation monitoring after Japan's nuclear leaks; they also refuted notions that sent Chinese residents rushing out in panic buying if iodized salt in the believe it could safeguard them from radioactive iodine.
But so far only a few officials like Cai have made much of an impact. The most popular Chinese bloggers are celebrities, scholars, critics, and business people.
Hu Jian, deputy chief for publicity with the Zhejiang Provincial CPC Committee, said he found it "extremely difficult" to become an opinion leader through microblogging. He said he researched extensively before starting a blog, to avoid embarrassment. "I am afraid of saying something wrong in front of so many intelligent and competent people," he said.
Wu Zhongmin, a professor of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said the future of official microblogging is uncertain. "Some officials are too busy to get online frequently and others may not be interested."
He said microblogging will help shorten the distance between the public and the officials, but strides towards greater democracy are unlikely without systematic reforms.
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