Mysterious China blogger comes out

Beijing, Feb 9 (AP) For weeks, a mysterious microblog has been lifting a veil from around China's new leader, Xi Jinping, with candid snapshots from his travels that defy the typically stiff and staged images of the leadership presented in state media. Ordinary Chinese, foreign reporters and even China's own state media have speculated over who or what might be behind the blog, ostensibly registered to a female tech school graduate. Is Xi's own team surreptitiously trying to humanise the leader in the guise of citizen journalism? Is this a crusader's attempt to bring China's leaders down a notch and send them a message? It turns out it's the brainchild of a male college dropout and migrant worker, Zhang Hongming, who told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview that he is both a genuine fan of China's new leader and intent on making him more accessible to the country's people. "It is just me. It's completely an individual act," said Zhang, who started the "Fan Club of Learning From Xi" on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo on November 21 with a simple thought: Like other foreign leaders in these times, Chinese leaders should have an online following. Zhang said he initially wanted to keep a low profile, but now wants to come forward to end the rampant speculation about his identity and intentions. The account shares photos gathered from citizen volunteers and local reports throughout the country of Xi on his visits out in the field, and the candid images aren't always flattering. There are shots of him visiting a vegetable market, serving food to the elderly, looking sideways. One shows him napping in a van. The microblog even tracked Xi's recent trip to Gansu province step by step, beating state media in reporting Xi's activities. National broadcaster CCTV complained on its own microblog: "What happened? The Study Xi Fan Club is quicker and closer to him than us." The unexpected popularity of the microblog speaks to the Chinese public's demand to humanize their typically aloof leaders. "Our leaders used to appear to be out of reach for the masses. They always appeared to be mysterious. Now the public can feel closer to their leader with timely and transparent information," Zhang said. "Xi is a national leader, but take his official title away, he's an ordinary person." A native of the southwestern province of Sichuan, Zhang said he dropped out of a technical college in 2008 when he realised he was not learning anything. He moved to the more prosperous provinces in China's east and south, where he has worked many odd jobs, including delivery. He now helps produce wall decorations in the city of Wuxi in Jiangsu province. (AP) SAI 02091808 NNNN