He is the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and the President of the People's Republic of China. He recently paid a state visit to Malaysia.

Yes, he is Hu Jintao, one of the 100 listed as the world's most influential people by the United States weekly magazine Time this year.

He introduced the new China to the world during the 2008 Olympic Games and during the 60th National Day, once again, he showed the world the rise of the Oriental dragon.

In terms of scale, China may be able to surpass Japan and become the world's second largest economic power next year. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) even foretasted that China will surpass the United States and become the world's largest economy in 2050.

Even though its per capita income is still far away from the world's advanced country's standard, the world has seen that it is rapidly emerging to become an economically powerful and technologically advanced country. As the leader of the country, every move of Hu has drawn great attention from the world.

What kind of leader is Hu? What are his differences with previous Chinese leaders?

Hu seems to be a very serious man. During the National Day military parade ceremony, Hu, who wore a Chinese tunic suit, loudly and clearly shouted “Hello, comrades!”and “Hard work, comrades!” His dignity almost made everyone afraid to directly look at him.

Anti-communists did not think he can perform well and they even asserted that he is unable to change the Communist Party. Instead, the Communist Party will change him.

However, author of The Man Who Changed China: The Life and Legacy of Jiang Zemin Robert Lawrence Kuhn believed that Hu is full of wisdom. He pointed out that from Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin to Hu Jintao, Chinese has changed from strongman politics to “ordinary-man politics”. As the leader of new China, Hu has put more efforts to be more cordial, rational, tolerant and humanness compared to former leaders.

Therefore, during the grand gala evening to celebrate New China's 60th founding anniversary, we were so surprised to see him join the performing team with other Chinese leaders. Hu and the leaders started to dance to the cheerful and lighthearted rhythm hand-in-hand with performers wearing traditional costumes of different ethnic groups, bringing the celebration to the climax.

Also, he personally replied a letter to deaf-mute boy Liu Danyang from Hubei Yichang. He wrote in the letter: “I love you like your grandfather and grandmother.”

Undoubtedly, after the global financial crisis, the world is full of expectation for Hu. The historical opportunity is slowly approaching China and the Chinese economy has come to a turning point. It is transforming from a “manufacturing kingdom” to a “service kingdom” and the “world's factory” to the “world's market”.

Western countries have no choice but to admit the rise of China but at the same time, they are fear of China which is dictated by a single party. If Hu and his leadership want a real change for China and change Western countries' stereotypical view on China, they must work harder to show a truly rising, more democratic, free and open China that is willing to make more contribution to the world! (By LIM MUN FAH/Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/Sin Chew Daily)