In China, some are more equal than others

Officials, that is. The informal behavior of the new US Ambassador to China has contrasted the behavior of Chinese bureaucrats. [Link]

It was Mr Locke's arrival in China that started the debate.

After being photographed at the airport in Seattle ordering coffee with his young daughter, the new ambassador arrived in Beijing at the weekend.

His family carried their own bags from the airport and were then driven away in a minivan.

Chen Weihua, writing in the China Daily, said that while to most Americans this would not be out of the ordinary, to Chinese people "the scene was so unusual it almost defied belief".

"In China even a township chief, which is not really that high up in the hierarchy, will have a chauffeur and a secretary to carry his bag," he said in an editorial headlined "Backpack makes a good impression".

'Serve the people'

The two episodes generated considerable comment on the internet, with the photo from Seattle - taken by a passing businessman - re-posted more than 40,000 times.

The tone of the debate was overwhelmingly in favour of Mr Locke's down-to-earth actions.

"American officials are to serve the people, but Chinese officials are served by the people, that's the difference," said one commentator on Sina.com, in a representative post.