Profiting from a personal touch

Dealing with the media is definitely a skill. During the National People's Congress session this year I've found more Chinese officials have learnt to master the skill or at least have been making an attempt. I have been really impressed by them and cannot help wondering why there has been such a change.

During a break in a group discussion session between deputies from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Zhang Chunxian, the region's Party chief, walked out of the conference room to go to the toilet. I didn't want to miss a chance to throw a few questions at him so I followed him and waited outside the toilet.

As soon as he came out I introduced myself and asked him if he could answer a couple of simple questions. Before he even opened his mouth, his tall secretary held his arm up between Zhang and me.