Broadcaster's book opens a new chapter

After years of broadcasting news on China Central Television, Kang Hui has become an item of newsworthy interest himself. Despite his fame, he prefers to keep a low profile but he has actually become popular on the internet with his penetrating judgments and his vlog introducing China's diplomacy.

"I never expected that I would become popular online, but I'm willing to take that responsibility, and will do a good job. People can get information from various channels and I would like to try to pass on information from different channels to them, especially young people."

Kang's surge in popularity is due in no small part to his new book Average Score (Ping Jun Fen). Published by Changjiang Literature and Arts Publishing House, the book records Kang's life story from childhood. It scored highly, with 7.1 points out of 10, on China's popular review platform Douban.

At the book launch on Nov 30 in Beijing, Kang said he had originally rejected the idea about writing a book on himself.

"I always believe I am someone who has few stories to tell since I didn't experience many ups and downs. I have just led an ordinary life," he says.

But a publisher changed his mind when he told him not to underestimate his experiences.

"He said you just put down what you have experienced. Even if only one sentence would touch a reader, and make him or her resonate with you, the book is meaningful," recalls Kang when he explained how he was persuaded to put pen to paper.

Kang says, modestly, that the title means he is very ordinary in terms of talent. "I have to strive continuously so that I can achieve an average score. I cannot gain an edge over others without huge effort in any area."

After anchoring Xinwen Lianbo, one of the world's most-watched news programs produced by CCTV, for more than a decade, Kang's name is now closely linked to this program. Kang intertwined his story in the book with the program and its changes over the years.

Xinwen Lianbo is a highly demanding live program and Kang freely admits to the pressure in anchoring it. "Every word I say carries huge weight, every second I stay in the studio is a political task, and every day is like an exam for me. Even after anchoring it for more than a decade, I still feel tense every time I sit in the chair."