It was not hunger or a craving for ordinary food that drove Chinese President Xi Jinping to a Beijing eatery for a 21 yuan ($3.46) meal of pork buns, pig liver and vegetables, which he paid for out of his own pocket.

No, it was politics, said analysts of his visit last Saturday to a downtown branch of the popular Qingfeng Steamed Dumpling restaurant chain.

First, his jaunt ― which has sparked a craze for Qingfeng buns in China, especially Beijing ― is part of a public relations campaign aimed at portraying himself as a man of the people who is down to earth and easy-going.

Renmin University political analyst Yang Guangbin said Xi’s public relations stunts should be seen alongside the intensifying anti-corruption campaign led by disciplinary czar Wang Qishan.

“Together, they aim to raise hopes that the party cares for the people and is serious about doing good things for the people,” said Professor Yang.

Xi began showing this common touch in December last year when he eschewed limousines and traveled in a minibus during his visit to the southern Guangdong province.

In July this year, he won praise from the public after he was photographed carrying his own umbrella in a rain storm during an inspection tour in central Wuhan province. And a Hong Kong news report of him hopping into a Beijing taxi on a whim in April remains a credible tale among locals though the authorities have refuted the account.

Xi’s actions have raised eyebrows, given how top leaders rarely venture beyond the Zhongnanhai compound, where their offices and residences are located. When they do, they usually appear with a heavy security presence. His actions are also unusual as Chinese leaders do not rely on public opinion to get elected.

But Yang said that for many Chinese people, “whether they get to vote directly for the leader is not as important as whether they think the leader is a good person who cares for the people.”

Since news of his foray broke, locals have been thronging the Qingfeng eatery in western Beijing and ordering the same 21 yuan meal, now dubbed “zhu xi can” or president’s meal.

Despite cynicism that the visit was staged, many netizens are pleased that Xi not only paid for his meal, but also queued up to buy it and finished everything on his plate, leaving no leftovers.

Another of Xi’s aims, add analysts, could be to set a personal example to drive his year-long campaign of promoting frugality among Chinese officials.

“What Xi has done, in visiting a local eatery, is what many lower-ranking officials, even those at the county level, won’t want to do. He is setting an example that they, too, should get closer to the people and not be too aloof,” said Singapore-based analyst Bo Zhiyue of the East Asian Institute.

Already, some Chinese media outlets are openly expressing hopes that other leaders would soon appear more often in local eateries than plush restaurants.

Some, like journalism professor Zhan Jiang, believe it is Xi’s background, living among peasants during his teens, that has influenced his behavior.

Still, others think there will be knock-on political effects even if all that Xi wanted was to have a simple meal. For instance, his visit has put a spotlight on food safety and made work harder for officials in charge of this area. Food safety is a major challenge for China, having faced problems such as fake milk powder.

“One ‘accidental’ impact of his visit is in ramping up food safety protection. Officials will want to ensure that no top leaders visiting local eateries would suffer food poisoning,” said Yang.

But the Chinese Communist Party would do well to prevent an over-the-top emulation of Xi’s act, say some. “If too many people follow suit, it could negate the positive impact now. Imagine hundreds of officials rushing to dumpling shops across China. It will only make people suspect more that the visit was staged,” said Bo.

By Kor Kian Beng

Kor Kian Beng is China bureau chief of the Straits Times of Singapore. ― Ed.

(Asia News Network)