Keywords: 'Fan club to learn from Xi' welcomed by the public; reputation of respected foster mom questioned

'Fan club to learn from Xi' welcomed by the public

A Sina Weibo account called Xuexifensituan, which means "Fan club to learn from Xi," became quite popular online recently for its real-time reports of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping's inspection tour of Gansu Province.

The account published the details of Xi's Gansu tour starting on February 3 and set itself apart by publishing close-up photos of the leader, some of which are exclusive. The man behind the account identified himself as an ordinary netizen when responding to the public's queries about his true identity, according to a report from the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post on February 5.

Having first been registered on November 21, 2012, this account had over 480,000 followers as of 4 pm, February 6.

The Zhejiang-based Qianjiang Evening News said the queries about the blog founder's identity reflect the public's curiosity over the top leaders' life and their dissatisfaction with the speed and style of traditional media's reports.

"The public wants to be closer to the top leaders and know more about them," read the article.

"Traditional media and official Weibo accounts should learn from the successful experience of Xuexifensituan," said the Shandong-based Qilu Evening News.

"The account is successful because it publishes information quickly and the content shortened the distance between top leaders and netizens," it explained.

Chinese Business View suggested that the public wants to see the top leaders' feelings toward the society rather than their hobbies or daily life.

"This Weibo account is an expected breakthrough and fits the expectations of public," read the article.

The Hong Kong-based Ta Kung Pao opined that the popularity of this Weibo account reflects that China's top leaders are paying more attention to the Internet and they have the courage to display themselves online.

Reputation of respected foster mom questioned

A report from Chinese magazine Portrait in February accused foster mother Yuan Lihai from Lankao, Henan Province, of taking in children in order to make money and neglecting those with special needs.

The magazine claimed that Yuan invested in real estate with the financial support she received and gave less care to the children whose health was poor.

Yuan, 48, was regarded as a moral model in former reports for fostering over 100 abandoned children in over 20 years. She came under that national spotlight after a fire took the lives of seven children under her care on January 4.

Following the report, Chinese media sympathized with Yuan and called for improving China's public aid.

Yuan is not perfect, but she should not be blamed as long as she did not violate any laws, commented the Jiangsu-based Yangtze Evening Post, adding that "it is a good thing for the public to reflect on China's foster care system by exposing the two sides of Yuan."

According to Portrait magazine, Yuan became a foster parent in 1989, but did not become famous for her work until 2006.

"It is not an easy task to take in foster children for over 20 years, and her motivation may be complicated," said the Beijing News.

"If her motivation has changed during these years, we need to find out what caused the change, especially whether it is because of the government's reaction. This may help the public understand the truth," the article stated.

The Xi'an Evening News suggested the private foster care system could not replace the orphanages run by the State.

"Humanity is complicated and a human being cannot necessarily build a stable and fair foster home," it noted.

Yuan should get society's approval for taking the government's responsibility of taking care of abandoned children, commented the Southern Metropolis Daily.

"However, the discussion on Yuan should not be limited to her moral standards, but should extend to how to establish a modern foster care system," the article suggested, adding that "China can no longer depend on private foster care."

@wyswy: Reports often go to extremes by making the figure "good" or "evil". Yuan is neither "good" nor "evil". She is just herself. Any intentional gushing endorsement or deprecation deviates from the truth.

@阳民周刊_总编: It is very easy to know the truth. Just interview the children she took in. I think it is not important how wealthy Yuan is. What really matters is whether she treated the "inferior" children badly.

@闾丘露薇: The abandoned children should be raised by the government. As for private foster homes, the government should set standards and supervise them regularly. If the private institutes are not qualified, the government should intervene instantly and make sure the children can grow up healthily.