New propaganda campaign presents Xi as 'tired but happy' hard-working leader

Beijing has rolled out another propaganda campaign to boost President Xi Jinping's image, portraying him as a hard-working and efficient leader.

An article about how Xi spent last Friday was carried as the lead story on major news websites and their mobile apps yesterday.

The story was first published on the website of the Shanghai Observer, owned by the Shanghai United Media Group, and was reprinted widely.

A reporter using the pen name Guan Jingtai documented how Xi spent Friday, the first day after the close of the Communist Party's fourth plenum.

The article gave the president's agenda for the day, and carried the reporter's observations and comments. It provided a close look at Xi's daily routine, which is rarely disclosed by the party's propaganda machine.

A similar report by Xinhua that documented Xi's family soon after he took office surprised many, but was widely seen as a move to familiarise people with the president and help gain him support.