Clearing the air

After eight years of intense scrutiny in the media spotlight, former spokesman and deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB) Du Shaozhong has finally stepped away from its glare. He stood down from both posts last month, however remains with the bureau as one of its environmental inspector.

"My reign as the 'Microphone King' is history, but my efforts in environmental protection know no boundaries," he posted on his Sina Weibo microblog on February 10, the day news broke of his reshuffle within the bureau.

Running the green machine

Dressed in a sharp black suit and sporting a new haircut, Du sat down for a two-hour interview last Friday with the Global Times, sharing the highs and lows of his career and his passion for environmental protection.

"Being a spokesman, you have to put up with reporters who don't do their homework, struggle with editors who run sensational headlines based on interviews or statements and read reports written by cynical journalists," he said.

Du, 58, is a recognizable face within the public eye, with a distinct mole perched near his upper lip. Though he looks solemn and tough most of the time, he describes himself as a "people person," while his colleagues recall him as an affable, relaxed boss.

"I've made a lot of reporter friends during the past eight years," Du said. "I make friends with residents who complain to me about air pollution, and I often meet friends made over the Internet."

However, he had a rocky relationship with foreign reporters.

"Apart from cultural differences and the fact many [foreign reporters] are unfamiliar with China's environment, some came and interviewed me with their story's angle already predetermined. Some of them only write negative reports," he said, adding that Chinese reporters also caused misunderstandings by quoting him out of a context from time to time.