2008_06_30

    President Hu Jintao held his first live online chat with netizens last Friday , telling them that divergent voices could be heard in the country . The young people were impressed by the unprecedented move .
    " The Internet is an important space to learn about people's thoughts ." said the president in the 20-minute chat . He revealed that he tries to surf the web every day , though he's very busy .
    " I try to find out ,  through the Internet , what they are concerned about and what they think ( on a wide range of topics )." said the 66-year-old president . He is called " elder brother hu " in the netizens .
    The chat , though brief , was hailed a government's effort to improve leadership through direct contact with people .