Xi in Guangdong

Time line

Editor's note: Xi Jinping conducted his first inspection tour as the new Party chief from Dec 7 to 11 in Guangdong province. His tour, which resembles the trip former leader Deng Xiaoping made 20 years ago, sends a strong message of deepening reforms. On Thursday, China Daily reporters Qiu Quanlin, Zheng Caixiong and Chen Hong spoke with local people Xi met to recount his five days in Guangdong.

Dec 7, Shenzhen

Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone

Kuang-Chi Institute of Advanced Technology, a material technology research company

Tencent Inc, one of China's biggest Internet service providers

Wang Yuqing, board director of a local construction consultant company, was working in the zone when Xi Jinping arrived at about 3 pm.

Wang said he saw several minibuses and cars drive in the cooperative zone in Qianhai Bay without fuss, and they kept a very low profile. Wang said there was nothing special going on the day before Xi's visit.

"No banners, no flags, no flowers, no red carpet whatsoever," Wang was quoted by The Beijing News as said.

All they knew was that a "very important person was visiting".

Then they found out the person was Xi, China's new Party chief, who shook hands with whoever extended a hand to him, Wang said.

"Xi said that since the country has provided favorable policies to Qianhai, Qianhai should boldly go forward," said Zheng Hongjie, an official at the zone. "I'm very confident. We have no reason not to do a good job."

Xi stayed more than an hour in the zone.

At Tencent, CEO Ma Huateng showed Xi instant messages, e-commerce, an Internet information portal, and WeChat, a cross-platform multimedia chatting application.

Xi took a special interest in WeChat, and he encouraged Tencent to keep up its development momentum and make a contribution to bringing China's Internet industry to the world, according to a press release on Tencent's website.

The release said that although the company did not show the Tencent micro blog to Xi, the top political leader asked Ma how many fans Ma had on his micro blog.

Xi received an instant-messaging account from Tencent, too.

Dec 8, Shenzhen and Zhuhai

A fishing village in Shenzhen's Luohu district that had been visited by Deng Xiaoping and Hu Jintao

Lianhuashan Park in Shenzhen, in which Xi laid a wreath in front of a statue of Deng Xiaoping

Hengqin New Area in Zhuhai, the third national new area after Shanghai's Pudong and Tianjin's Binhai

China Aviation Industry General Aircraft, a general aircraft manufacturer in Zhuhai

Villagers looked through their windows to the square of a fishing village, where people gathered and said: "I have never before seen Xi, the general secretary (of the Party)."

On Jan 25, 1984, reformist leader Deng Xiaoping also paid a visit to the fishing village, which overlooks Hong Kong on the other side of a river.

Villagers said that Xi and his group suddenly appeared in the square at about 9 am.

He was soon surrounded by a crowd. He smiled, shook hands and hugged a child at his side.

Deng Guohua, 32, a local resident, said he was told that a "very important leader" would visit his village but he had never expected it would be Xi. His 54-year-old mother, Song Lirong, prepared some fruits for the leaders' visit.

"My family asked the general secretary to take a seat on the sofa. But Xi was more polite, asking us to sit first," Deng said.

Deng said he was touched that Xi slid open a window on the bus to wave to villagers when he left.

During a visit to Lianhua hill, Xi laid a basket of flowers in homage to late leader Deng Xiaoping and led his entourage in bowing three times in tribute as he echoed Deng's groundbreaking theory, made in the same province 20 years ago, that China must deepen reforms to develop its market economy.

Before leaving, Xi planted a tree in the park, as Deng once had done.

Li Hao, a retired former Party chief of Shenzhen, accompanied Xi during his visit to the park. "Xi's visit encourages us. It is a promise he made to China," Li said.

Dec 9, Foshan and Guangzhou

Guangdong Industrial Design City, a design facility in Shunde district of Foshan

Huanglong village in Shunde

Preside over an economic seminar in Guangzhou

The visit to Foshan's Shunde by Xi sent an important message, encouraging local manufacturers to upgrade their businesses amid the global economic downturn, Liang Weidong, Party chief of Shunde, said.

"I accompanied Xi during his visit to Shunde. He attaches great importance to the innovation of science and technology to help upgrade manufacturing," he said.

"It also sent a strong signal from the central government to support the reform and opening-up policy. As a pioneer in this policy, we will place more importance on quality rather than quantity in the years ahead to maintain sustainable development," Liang said.

In Shunde, Xi paid a visit to Guangdong Industry Design City, located in the district's Beijiao township.

"Xi showed special interest in newly designed home appliances during his visit," said Shao Jimin, general manager of the design center.

When Shao demonstrated an oil-free fryer, Xi asked: "Will it be OK to cook deep-fried dough sticks without oil?"

"I told him that our workers are trying to design such a fryer. He smiled and nodded encouragingly," Shao said.

Xi also told Shao he hopes the number of designers will be 8,000 when he pays another visit to the center in years to come.

"We are so encouraged. His visit to the center has given us a strong signal that more technological innovation and design are needed in the process of industrial upgrading," Shao said.

Xi also visited the underdeveloped Huanglong village in Shunde in the afternoon.

In his one-hour tour, Xi visited a family that benefits from the government's minimum living subsidy.

"Xi listened very carefully when I talked about the difficult life I encountered in the past," said family member Chen Yanrong.

Chen, 48, has suffered health problems since a traffic accident in 2002.

"The top leader's visit gave us confidence that we can make a better living in the future," Chen said.

During his visit to the family, Xi gave an electronic dictionary to Chen's daughter, who studies at a local middle school."He encouraged my daughter to study hard and told us not to worry about the education fees," Chen said.

Dec 10, Huizhou

Military units stationed in Luofu Mountain

HZZK Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone

Dec 11, Guangzhou

Donghaochong Museum, which displays the development of the previously polluted Donghaochong area

Luo Guoquan was overwhelmed with regret that he forgot to have a photo taken with Xi when he visited a residential community in Guangzhou's Yuexiu district.

"I was so excited at the time that I forgot to do anything," the 64-year-old retired worker said on Thursday.

Xi, accompanied by Wang Yang, provincial Party chief, and Zhu Xiaodan, governor of Guangdong, arrived at the Donghaochong community at around 9:20 am and stayed for about 30 minutes, Luo said.

During the visit, Xi caressed the face of Luo's 9-month-old granddaughter and grasped her hands.

"Now my granddaughter has become a star in my community and among my relatives and friends," he said.

Guo Huanqiu, 80, said she was also excited and happy when Xi shook hands with her.

"Xi first said 'ni hao' in Cantonese to me and my neighbors when he came into the pavilion where we were doing morning exercises and chatting," Guo said.

Then Xi shook hands with them one by one, Guo recalled.

All of the elderly residents who met Xi said he is an amiable and easygoing person.