This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/18/xi-jinping-taxi-hoax
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| 'You'll never guess who I didn't have in the back of my cab – Xi Jinping' | 'You'll never guess who I didn't have in the back of my cab – Xi Jinping' |
| (12 days later) | |
| Taxi drivers around the world are notorious for their far-fetched stories about illustrious passengers. Guo Lixin, a 46-year-old Beijing cabbie, couldn't have guessed quite how notorious his story would become. | Taxi drivers around the world are notorious for their far-fetched stories about illustrious passengers. Guo Lixin, a 46-year-old Beijing cabbie, couldn't have guessed quite how notorious his story would become. |
| One night in early March Guo began chatting with a mysterious fare before realising that he was none other than Xi Jinping, the country's most powerful man, the Beijing-backed Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao reported on Thursday morning. | One night in early March Guo began chatting with a mysterious fare before realising that he was none other than Xi Jinping, the country's most powerful man, the Beijing-backed Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao reported on Thursday morning. |
| "Has anyone ever told you that you look like general secretary Xi?" Guo reportedly asked. | "Has anyone ever told you that you look like general secretary Xi?" Guo reportedly asked. |
| "You are the first taxi driver to recognise me," the passenger replied. | "You are the first taxi driver to recognise me," the passenger replied. |
| Communist party media initially picked up the story with zeal; the state newswire Xinhua even confirmed its veracity with Beijing transportation officials. But in a surprising twist on Thursday afternoon the headline began disappearing from state media webpages and popular news portals. Searches for "Xi Jinping taxi" on social networking sites were suddenly blocked. | Communist party media initially picked up the story with zeal; the state newswire Xinhua even confirmed its veracity with Beijing transportation officials. But in a surprising twist on Thursday afternoon the headline began disappearing from state media webpages and popular news portals. Searches for "Xi Jinping taxi" on social networking sites were suddenly blocked. |
| At 5.30pm Xinhua declared the story false, and Ta Kung Pao promptly retracted its coverage. "We feel deeply upset and extremely regretful about this," the newspaper said in a statement on its website. "Such a major case of false news absolutely should never have happened." | At 5.30pm Xinhua declared the story false, and Ta Kung Pao promptly retracted its coverage. "We feel deeply upset and extremely regretful about this," the newspaper said in a statement on its website. "Such a major case of false news absolutely should never have happened." |
| Guo said that during the 26-minute, five-mile ride through Beijing, he spoke frankly with Xi about a range of topics spanning an average taxi driver's salary to the city's noxious air pollution – "It's easy to pollute, and hard to clean up," Xi reportedly said, adding that the government is doing its best to remedy the situation. | Guo said that during the 26-minute, five-mile ride through Beijing, he spoke frankly with Xi about a range of topics spanning an average taxi driver's salary to the city's noxious air pollution – "It's easy to pollute, and hard to clean up," Xi reportedly said, adding that the government is doing its best to remedy the situation. |
| State media called the ride "weifu sifang" or "travelling incognito" – a term usually associated with dynastic emperors who ventured beyond the Forbidden City undercover – which some web users blasted for its imperial connotations. | State media called the ride "weifu sifang" or "travelling incognito" – a term usually associated with dynastic emperors who ventured beyond the Forbidden City undercover – which some web users blasted for its imperial connotations. |
| "'Travelling incognito' – this term makes me think of a lot of people – slaves, Heshen [a corrupt Qing dynasty official], and San Dezi [a Qing-era court eunuch]. Who do you think of?" wrote user Elephant 85. | "'Travelling incognito' – this term makes me think of a lot of people – slaves, Heshen [a corrupt Qing dynasty official], and San Dezi [a Qing-era court eunuch]. Who do you think of?" wrote user Elephant 85. |
| Initially, reports of the cab ride seemed compatible with Xi's meticulously stage-managed "man of the people" image. | Initially, reports of the cab ride seemed compatible with Xi's meticulously stage-managed "man of the people" image. |
| Since Xi assumed the Communist party's highest post in November, he has overseen an elaborate anti-corruption drive to assuage widespread concerns about a deep divide between party officials and ordinary people. He has banned self-indulgent government habits such as disruptive motorcades and endless speechifying at official events. | Since Xi assumed the Communist party's highest post in November, he has overseen an elaborate anti-corruption drive to assuage widespread concerns about a deep divide between party officials and ordinary people. He has banned self-indulgent government habits such as disruptive motorcades and endless speechifying at official events. |
| Yet some analysts have said Xi's remarks remain empty lip service, incompatible with the government's aversion to deeper political reform. Some Chinese media reports suggest that officials have simply moved their lavish banquets and venal gift-giving underground. | Yet some analysts have said Xi's remarks remain empty lip service, incompatible with the government's aversion to deeper political reform. Some Chinese media reports suggest that officials have simply moved their lavish banquets and venal gift-giving underground. |
| "When we regard Xi Jinping as a next generation leader, we want him to start political reform, to create equal distribution of wealth," said Qiao Mu, a journalism professor at Beijing Foreign Language University. "People look at his actions, his manners – what he can do rather than what he can say." | "When we regard Xi Jinping as a next generation leader, we want him to start political reform, to create equal distribution of wealth," said Qiao Mu, a journalism professor at Beijing Foreign Language University. "People look at his actions, his manners – what he can do rather than what he can say." |
| • This article was amended on 19 April 2013. The original referred to Heshen as a corrupt Qing dynasty emperor. He was a high-ranking court official, not the emperor. This has been corrected. | • This article was amended on 19 April 2013. The original referred to Heshen as a corrupt Qing dynasty emperor. He was a high-ranking court official, not the emperor. This has been corrected. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |