Xi -- A tough man with a tender heart

BEIJING, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Guo Wei's lasting impression of Xi Jinping, Chinese President and Party and military leader, is of a man not afraid to get his feet -- or his whole body -- wet.

After an inspection tour of Dalian Ship-building Industry in the northeastern province of Liaoning in 2013, Xi stood in the pouring rain to talk with employees and posed for photographs with them, Guo, a Communist Party of China (CPC) affairs official of the company, recalled.

Since taking office, Xi, who is lauded for his easy-going personality by the public, has pushed ahead his counter-corruption drive, displaying the resolve to reform China's economic, political, cultural, social and environmental sectors.

After visiting a number of industries in Liaoning, Xi pledged to break systemic obstructions and revitalize old industrial bases in northeast China, an issue believed to reflect the complex and arduous reform task for the nation as a whole.

TOUGH WILL

Describing corruption as "a disease that calls for powerful drugs," Xi has urged all CPC members to fight corruption with courage of "a man who has to cut off his own snake-bitten hand to save his life."

Ensuing measures have displayed that Xi and his administration are serious about this commitment.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in late 2012, a sweeping campaign against corruption and extravagance has netted dozens of senior officials, including former senior leaders such as Zhou Yongkang, Xu Caihou, Guo Boxiong and Ling Jihua.

"In the past, a large slice of our efforts, and funds, were spent on cozying up to local officials," said Li Zhonggang, who runs a bidding agency in north China's Shanxi Province. "But now we can concentrate on business."

"The measures Xi and his administration have taken are an onslaught on the vices of officialdom to improve the environment," a former governmental official of the province said. "Changes in the environment will bring about changes in the mindset of officials, bolstering public confidence and the government's authority."

Xi heads the central leading group for deepening overall reform. The measures rolled out by the group, established in December 2013, have injected fresh energy into the economy and invigorated social development.

A MAN OF THE PEOPLE

While winning public confidence with his anticorruption drive, and reform and development measures, the president has also won the people's hearts with his down-to-earth nature.

Xi has shifted away from bureaucratic red tape and empty talk by using simple and colloquial language.

In his 2015 New Year speech, Xi used a popular online phrase to say that cadres had "given it their best shot", adding "of course, without the support of the people, we could not have achieved anything. I must give our great people a thumbs-up."

He has also visited many underdeveloped areas, taking the time to talk with locals and issue instructions on poverty relief and rural development.

"Our rural areas present the most arduous task to achieving an all-round well-off society," Xi said at a symposium in June, while calling for a more scientific approach to poverty relief.

"He looked quite ordinary, just like one of us," said You Futian, a farmer in Lankao County in central China's Henan Province.

During a visit to the county last year, Xi spoke with farmers, and You attended one of these meetings.

"He sat among us and talked with us in plain language. We all understood what he meant," You said. "I gave some advice to our village's administration, and he nodded at me, jotted down some notes and clapped after I had spoken."

"I was under the weather that day, and when he shook my hand, Xi told me to take care and stay fit," You recalled.

EVERYMAN'S PRESIDENT

A surprise visit by Xi to an ordinary steamed bun chain in Beijing, where he queued alongside other patrons and sat down among the diners to eat, has put the restaurant on the map, and sales have surged.

For many Chinese Internet users, the president is sometimes fondly referred as "Xi Dada" (Papa Xi) or "Pingping," a nickname often used by close friends or relatives.

The online community has also discussed the photos on display in the president's office, which show him with his father, mother, wife and daughter, and others with soldiers and him playing football.

"He is a family man, and he is everyman," said Zhang Qi, a student at Nanjing University. "He is also an outstanding helmsman to steer our country." Enditem

习近平的“刚”与“柔”

    新华社北京9月21日电 郭炜对中国党政军最高领导人习近平最难忘的印象是：他是一个勇于“涉水”实践、甚至全身湿透也不怕的人。

    郭炜是东北地区辽宁省大连船舶重工集团的党委干部，他记得２０１３年习近平赴辽宁考察期间，曾前往集团公司调研并冒着大雨与工人们交谈、合影。

    自就任总书记以来，习近平以亲民的个人风格受到民众欢迎。与此同时，他也坚定地推进反腐并展现出推进中国经济、政治、文化、社会、生态等领域改革的决心。

    在考察了辽宁等地多家工业企业后，习近平强调要破除体制机制障碍，推动东北老工业基地振兴。东北老工业基地的改革和振兴，被认为折射了中国全国范围改革的复杂与艰巨。

    坚强意志

    习近平曾说反腐需要“猛药去疴”，要求全党同志以“壮士断腕”的勇气进行反腐败斗争。他率领的中共执政团队也以实际行动彰显了践行这一要求的决心。

    十八大以来，随着打击腐败、反对奢侈浪费等行动的展开，周永康、徐才厚、郭伯雄、令计划等一批高级别官员落马。

    “以前，公司要把很多精力和资金放在与当地官员‘拉关系’上。现在我们可以集中精力搞经营了。”山西省一家招标代理公司负责人李中刚说。

    山西一名政府退休干部表示，习近平和中央的一系列举措，意在重拳打击官场恶习。“环境变好了，官员的心态就会发生改变，这样老百姓才能信服，政府的公信力才能建立。”

    习近平还担任中央全面深化改革领导小组组长。自2013年12月小组成立以来，多项改革举措推进，为中国经济社会发展注入动力。

    亲民作风

    在以推进反腐、改革及发展等一系列举措赢得老百姓信任的同时，习近平也以自己务实亲民的作风赢得了老百姓的爱戴。

    他力戒打官腔、说空话，常使用通俗易懂的语言。

    在发表2015年新年贺词时，习近平借网络流行语称赞各级干部“蛮拼的”。他还说：“当然，没有人民支持，这些工作是难以做好的，我要为我们伟大的人民点赞。”

    他也多次前往经济相对落后的地区考察，花时间与当地群众交流，并对扶贫和农村发展等问题做出指示。

    在2015年6月召开的一次座谈会上，习近平表示，全面建成小康社会最艰巨最繁重的任务在农村。他还要求科学谋划好扶贫工作。

    中国中部省份河南省兰考县农民游富田谈起对习近平的印象时说：“他看着很普通，跟咱老百姓一样。”

    去年习近平在兰考县考察期间，与当地农民座谈，游富田是参加座谈的农民之一。

    “他坐在我们中间，说的是大白话，我们都听懂了。”游富田说，“我给村里管理提了些建议，总书记点点头，拿笔记下了，我讲完他还拍拍巴掌。”

    “那天我有点感冒，习近平跟我握手时叮嘱我要保重、注意身体。”游富田回忆说。

    人民的主席

    习近平曾光顾过北京一家平价连锁包子铺，在那里和其他顾客一道排队点餐，与其他食客坐在一起就餐。这次出乎很多人意料的行程使这家餐馆成了北京的一个“热门景点”，生意火了起来。

    不少中国网友会亲切地称呼这位国家主席为“习大大”，或者像称呼亲密的亲人朋友一样叫他“平平”。

    习近平办公室内的陈设也引起网友的讨论。人们发现，习近平的书架上摆放着几张他与父亲、母亲、夫人和女儿的合影，还有他踢足球和与部队战士合影的照片。

    “他是一个顾家的人，是一个普通人。同时他也是一个引领我们国家前进的杰出的领导人。”南京大学学生张琦说。