Hopes high for new era

With Xi Jinping taking over from Hu Jintao as the head of State and the military on Thursday, the Chinese national leadership is one small step away from completing its smooth generational transfer.

Hopes are running high for the coming decade, as Xi has made a stir with his refreshing no-nonsense style since he took the helm of the Communist Party of China in November. His popularity is partly because of his people-friendly approach to work and down-to-earth style of speaking which people can relate to.

For example, when he participated in a discussion with the National People's Congress delegates from Jiangsu province on Friday, he reminded the mayor of Suzhou, who had outlined a plan to make "substantial improvements" in the water quality of the city's lakes, that netizens' yardstick for acceptable water quality would be whether the mayor dared to jump in and swim.