Xi Jinping: Pursuing a dream for 1.3b Chinese

Facing challenges

In his first public speech after being elected the general secretary in November, Xi showed his leadership style by reaching out to ordinary people and highlighting the role the people have played.

Xi considers the people to be a source of strength and vows to stand by them in good times and bad.

"Our people have an ardent love for life. They wish to have better education, more stable jobs, more income, greater social security, better medical and health care, improved housing conditions and better environment," Xi said in the speech.

"They want their children to grow well, have ideal jobs and lead a more enjoyable life," he said. "To meet their desire for a happy life is our mission."

Xi has been concerned with the smog that affected people in many parts of the country. He ordered measures to cope with the air pollution, and asked government departments to join all sectors in the society to build a "Beautiful China."

On December 1, 2012, the World AIDS Day, Xi visited a community clinic in Beijing, and shook hands with HIV carriers and AIDS patients, stressing that the whole society must be involved in fighting the disease, and every patient must be taken care of.

Shortly before the Spring Festival, Xi took to Beijing streets to give holiday regards to subway workers, sanitation workers, police officers and taxi drivers.

"I know that you cannot rest during the holiday, so I come here to see you," Xi told them.

For the past decades, Xi has immersed himself in the populace and strived to work for the benefit of the people.

"To solve problems in China, we should rely on not only the CPC and the government, but also the 1.3 billion people," he said.

In line with the down-to-earth style he has advocated, Xi has traveled to poor counties and villages for visiting the most needy people.

In order to get a real picture of poverty, Xi, after assuming general secretary, traveled three times to areas that are "extremely impoverished."

"The general secretary is easy-going and he talks like any one of us," 69-year-old farmer Tang Rongbin said while recalling Xi's visit to his home in Hebei Province.

"We chatted for half an hour. He asked me how many TV channels I can watch, and whether I can make long-distance calls with my landline," Tang said. "He's like an old friend of mine."

Xi brought cooking oil, flour, quilts and coats to families in the village of Luotuowan in Hebei during his visit in December.

"Without prosperity in rural China, particularly those impoverished areas, we can't complete building a moderately prosperous society in all respects," Xi said.

Xi is also open-minded and never stops learning from ordinary people and those with expertise.

During his visit to Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, he talked with government officials and corporate managers to prepare for the central economic work conference which was held shortly afterward.