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China's state leaders have a universal image of serious faces, jet black hair and dark austere suits. But a recent cartoon video is changing this stereotype.
On October 14, a video entitled How a Political Leader Was Tempered became popular. In this five-minute long animated cartoon, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and five other members of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) show up as cartoon characters and illustrate the way they grew from community-level officials to the top leaders of China.
"In the past, the political leaders' images in the media were serious and stiff, but this cartoon made a positive change," said Xie Chuntao, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee. "It is the first time for the Chinese leaders' cartoon figures to be spread in mass media."
The cartoon instantly attracted chatter. "It was really a surprise for me to see [such an] animated cartoon. I felt the distance between these leaders and myself disappeared and they are like my amiable neighbors," said Wu Hao, an Internet user in Beijing.
This new phenomenon indicates that the new top political leaders in China, after taking the helm of China's ruling Party at the 18th CPC National Congress in November 2012, are gradually emerging from the halls of obscurity, which can help bring them closer to the public, according to Wang Wen, Executive Vice President of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University of China.
Early this year, the state-owned Xinhua News Agency publicized features revealing insights into the family life, hobbies and growth paths of the newly elected seven members of the CPC top leadership. This is rare in the Chinese history as for thousands of years, the top leaders were all behind a wall of mystery.
"All these show that the state leaders are shortening their distance with the common people by removing the wall of mystery in front of them," said Xie.
Fighting corruption
While making their lives more accessible to the public, the new leadership has also taken the time to show no mercy in fighting corruption. The 18th CPC National Congress outcomes include frequent measures to fight corruption.
On several occasions, Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, stressed fighting both "tigers" and "flies," referring to both high-ranking and low-ranking corrupt officials, in anti-corruption campaigns.
Statistics show that from November of last year to November this year, more than 10 ministerial and provincial level officials had been punished for corruption, including Li Chuncheng, former Deputy Secretary of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee, and Liu Tienan, former Deputy Chief of National Development and Reform Commission.
"Compared with the past, the new CPC Central Committee adopts new concepts in fighting corruption as we can see the work focus has been shifted from prevention to punishment on corruption," said Li Yongzhong, a professor of the Chinese Academy of Governance, who has been studying China's anti-corruption efforts for 34 years.
In September, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC launched its official website, where the public can report corrupt officials, using their real names or anonymously.
"This can pose great pressure on officials to avoid corruption," said Li.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection is also sending teams to different units for regular as well as secret inspections.
In late September, the first round of inspections of 2013 ended and the second round began in late October. Another 10 inspection teams were sent to various units nationwide.
"This is a top-to-bottom supervision system, which shows the strong determination of the new Party leadership in restraining corruption," said Ma Huaide, Vice President of China University of Political Science and Law.
Results of the first round of inspections have justified the system's effectiveness. Wang Suyi, former member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Inner Mongolia Committee, and Liao Shaohua, former member of the Standing Committee of CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee, were found corrupt by the inspection teams and were removed from their posts for further investigation.
"After the Third Plenary Session, I believe the ruling party's effort in fighting corruption will continue," said Ma.
Foreign policy
According to experts, the new leadership not only strengthened its efforts on domestic affairs, but also intensified its diplomacy work.
"China has strengthened its relations with developing countries, especially African countries and this effort will continue in the future," Liu Guijin, former Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on African Affairs, toldChinAfrica.
From March 24 to 30, soon after Xi became president, he visited Tanzania, South Africa and Republic of the Congo, and had extensive communications with African leaders when he attended BRICS summit in Durban. After that, many other senior leaders such as Zhang Dejiang, Member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee, Wang Yang, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Liu Yandong, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also paid visits to African countries.
"China and Africa have a strong and creative relationship based on a long historical engagement and more recently institutionalized through FOCAC (Forum on China-Africa Cooperation)," Garth Shelton, a professor of International Relations at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa toldChinAfrica. "The relationship provides many positive outcomes for both sides and is becoming increasingly important as a key South-South process in a globalized world."
Peaceful engagement
China has been following the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in its diplomatic work since they were put forward 60 years ago, according to Wang Yusheng, Executive Director of Center for Strategic Studies of China Foundation for International Studies.
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, proposed by China and developing countries like India in December 1953, are: mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.
"The Five Principles [of Peaceful Coexistence] are widely respected and supported in Africa. China's adherence to these principles forms the foundation for cooperation and positive South-South cooperation," said Shelton. According to him, the five principles provide encouragement to Africa and should be reinforced and strengthened as the foundation of China's diplomatic interaction with Africa.
Though critics of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence say non-interference would indulge corruption in other countries, Shelton thinks this principle just indicates China regards other countries as friends on equal footing.
"Non-interference implies that China is seeking an equal, cooperative and friendly partnership with Africa," he said. "Based on this policy, the China-Africa relationship can be further strengthened and a system of positive and mutually beneficial cooperation developed."
∗ niyanshuo@chinafrica.cn | 
