Rude, bad-tempered slobs: that was the verdict of a Chinese Communist Party chief when he posted a critique of government officials on the Internet.

Zhang Xinshi, CPC secretary of Suqian city [file photo]

The posting by Zhang Xinshi, CPC secretary of Suqian city, or senior governor, was intended to upbraid junior officials who dealt with the public -- but it quickly attracted massive public support and sparked a nationwide debate over the behaviour of government officials.

Posted on the government website, "Detailed Problems with the Deportment of Suqianers" criticized unreservedly the demeanor of the citizens, with special contempt for the bad example set by many public servants set in the city.

"Some cadres totally disregard etiquette on public occasions. Some often talk unbearably loud as if there were no one else present or answer their phones in an abnormally high pitch for fear that others would not know he is talking on the phone," Zhang wrote.

He even detailed the stink caused by official who failed to flush the toilet after use.

The essay struck a raw nerve with the public, who seemed to awaken from apathy.

Nearly 1,000 comments were posted within one day of the essay's release, mostly hailing Zhang's self-examination while bitterly attacking the rudeness of his subordinates.

A netizen named "Lan Keer" wrote: "Officials are representing the image of a place. If they are bad-mannered, how can the government ask the public to maintain a courteous environment in the city?

"It really is a progress for the leader to realize the problem and his attention to detail shows a sense of responsibility."

"Miss Right" wrote: "I am touched by what the official did because he is a man speaking out from a real sense of justice. Many officials scorn such trifles, but they don't know these trifles are actually what we people care about most."

The medium of Zhang's critique also received praise.

"He chose a proper channel to make the denouncement. If he had said this at a conference or via governmental publications, nobody would have responded," said "Seagull", adding the posting showcased the real function of a government website.

It was more than a medium for releasing documents and investment information. A government website should be a communication platform between officials and the public, he said.

However, a "coalition" of Internet users branded the critique "self-advertising".

"Without the posting who would know about the CPC leader in Suqian? The guy finally managed to bring himself nationwide fame and who knows whether he will get a promotion because of it?" one asked.

Professor Yu Xianyang, with the People's University, said Zhang had vividly reflected public perceptions of government officials, regardless of his real intentions.

Many public servants in Suqian were sloppily dressed, spat and dropped litter and made a racket in public places. "Perhaps he has no choice but to do this," Yu said.

Codes of conduct, which should be taught in primary school, had become something that officials failed to abide by. Zhang said it shamed thousands of the bad-mannered government staffs.

The majority of Chinese public servants were well-educated and had to undergo rigorous tests to acquire a post in the government, but their spirit and enthusiasm were ground down by routine drudgery, Yu said.

Some even lost their sense of the most basic courtesy.

All levels of government had made economic construction their main priority, but bad manners could eclipse economic growth in the minds of the public, said Yu.

China has about five million public servants, 90 percent of them a grassroots level.

In Suqian, Zhang's posting resulted in a series of measures to enforce courtesy in public servants -- just as it is enforced in China's primary schools.