新官话 (xin guanhua): New style of official language

Since November 2012 President Xi Jinping has been following a new style of speaking and writing, which is different from any of those adhered to by past leaders.

While delivering speeches, Xi always quotes from the classics, both Chinese and foreign, but only after translating them into plain language easily understood by the public. He always encourages officials to use plain language to enable them to get closer to the people and get their work done. He also encourages officials to make short speeches and write short articles with strong contents.

In his speeches and articles, Xi practices what he preaches. In his New Year's speech, he used a popular Internet phrase "giving it one's best shot" to praise officials at all levels, and also thanked people for their support in the past year. The plain and vivid language he used reflected his familiarity with the people and their language, won him wide public praise and set a good example for officials at various levels to follow.