The resignation of a county investment promotion official in southwest China after he was reprimanded for nodding off at a meeting has spurred controversy among netizens. Jiang Wenhui resigned from his post as deputy director of the Chenggong County Investment Promotion Bureau of Yunnan Province on Friday.

At a lecture in Kunming on the construction of economic development zones and investment introduction on Wednesday, Jiang, who sat in the first row, was caught sleeping. He was told to wake up by the provincial capital's Communist Party Chief Qiu He who stood beside the lecturer's seat on the chairperson's platform.

"It is he who needs to take notes at the investment lecture, but his dozing only showed he was not interested in his own job," a netizen's comment on Sina.com said.

"Does anyone think a leader who is not interested about his job will be allowed to continue his post?" the comment asked.

Chenggong county head Wu Qingkun admitted some county cadres were sluggish and indifferent in their work. He hoped they would change their lazy, slack and inactive working style after the case.

"The construction of the county's new economic zone demands cadres have the courage to shoulder responsibilities and carry out work with innovative spirit."

But others supported Jiang.

"Maybe the lecture was too dull," said a netizen.

"Speakers at many meetings just say big and empty words. It is no wonder that listeners sleep," another wrote.

Increasingly, local officials have been changing their working style from official blatant speak to a more practical attitude.

At a meeting last month in the southwestern Chongqing Municipality, Vice Mayor Huang Qifan interrupted an official who took the floor but talked a lot about government polices that almost everyone knew.

"Do not say such official words on such an occasion. It is unnecessary." Huang's comment prompted the official to speak directly to the point.

(Xinhua News Agency February 24, 2008)