Chinese President takes part in online chat

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-06-20 11:23

BEIJING -- Chinese President Hu Jintao talked to netizens Friday morning via a major Chinese news portal, in his first live webcast communication with the public.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (Front Left) reads questions posted by netizens at an online forum of people.com.cn during his first live webcast, June 20, 2008. [Xinhua]

Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, communicated with netizens at a forum of people.com.cn, the news portal of the People's Daily.

At the Qiangguo Forum, netizens started posting questions for Hu minutes after the news that he would talk to netizens was released.

The Internet is a major channel to solicit public opinions, Hu said during the chat.

"I am squeezing in time to go on-line, though I cannot surf the web every day due to my busy workload," Hu said in answer to a question.

"I log on to view domestic and foreign news, to learn what interests people on the Internet and to solicit their advice and opinions about the work of our government and Party," said Hu in response to posts about his online life.

"I am very much concerned about some of the problems and opinions raised," he said in the 20-minute conversation. "We must listen to the people and lean on their wisdom to do a good job."

The Qiangguo Forum is one of the must-visit websites for him, Hu said.

The number of Chinese Internet users has soared to 221 million by May, making China country with the world's largest online population.