China's President Xi Jinping paid a rare visit to one of Beijing's smog-hit streets today, drawing praise from Internet users for his latest apparent attempt to portray himself as close to ordinary citizens.
"Breathing the same air, sharing the same fate," said a widely shared online headline, as a large swathe of China was covered by a dangerous blanket of haze for a sixth consecutive day.
Small airborne particles, which easily penetrate the lungs and are known as PM 2.5, have been linked to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths, and the problem has emerged as a major source of discontent with China's government.
A shaky video and pictures emerged of Xi walking outdoors -- without a facemask -- in Nanluoguxiang, a popular shopping and cafe district just south of Beijing's ancient Drum Tower.
The stroll appeared to have been planned in advance, as television cameras were also in evidence in the pictures posted on Sina Weibo, a Chinese social networking service similar to Twitter.
Xi caused a similar Internet stir in December when he queued and bought his own steamed buns at a Beijing restaurant, a move apparently aimed at promoting the image of him as a man of the people.
The trips are unusual as Chinese leaders have tended to maintain a remote image, with information about them tightly controlled by authorities, and the public given almost no information about their personal lives.
"Come to my house and take a look please Xi," asked one Sina Weibo user.
