Sound Bites

"When facing media, no official can avoid showing himself (or herself). The point is how to show and how well you show. Many officials lack the necessary skills to deal with the media."

Wang Xuming, former spokesman of the Ministry of Education, said at a forum in Luoyang, Central China's Henan province, reported in China Youth Daily on May 5.

"Some so-called 'elites' in China lack the necessary public awareness. With a sly attitude, they either take advantage of China's present political or economic system, or go into the embrace of foreign enterprises. They run away from political power as far as they can. They have complete indifference to, and almost abandon, Chinese public life."