More than just a mirror

The rising cacophony of micro blogs shows the willingness of the ruling party and the government to accept this new media as a barometer of the times.

Without question, the omnipresent influence of micro blogs in politics, the economy and everyday life is not only a mirror to the rapid changes transforming the country, it is also changing China in a profound way.

But accompanying this influence there has been the rise of opinion leaders, who become well-known for being outspoken on hot issues and who are playing an increasingly important role in molding public opinion.