AsiaNews Magazine Jan10-16,2014 ( Jan 1-7,2014) | Page 12

January 10-16, 2014

‘A Xi meal set please’

Many Chinese, long used to having top leaders
who rule from a distance, were pleasantly surprised,
if not excited, at the sight of Xi carrying his
own tray and eating at a table, just like them.
Sceptics saw it as a public relations stunt
to portray Xi as a man of the people and
to boost his austerity campaign.
Stunt or not, it helped turn the nondescript
eatery, with its cream-coloured walls and movable
wooden tables, into a must-see place overnight
While the hype may baffle foreigners
from countries where it is common for
leaders to have meals at restaurants, Xi's
visit is highly unusual in China, according to
Beijing-based sociologist Hu Xingdou.
"Given China's imperial past, its leaders
are typically seen as
unapproachable and there
is a distance between them
and the people," Hu said.
“And so when something
like this happens, bringing
Xi closer to the people, it
creates a lot of excitement.
The ordinary people are very
supportive of his visit." —
Esther Teo/The Straits Times

ESTHER TEO/THE STRAITS TIMES

BEIJING: A no-frills restaurant that
sits on a busy street in Beijing's Xicheng
district has become the capital's latest—and
perhaps most unlikely—tourist attraction
in the past week. The restaurant owes its
sudden fame not to its food but to a VIP—
Chinese President Xi Jinping—who went
to the shop on December 28 and ordered
six pork and onion buns, stir-fried pig's
liver and vegetables. The simple meal cost
21 yuan (US$3.50), which he paid himself.

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