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Presenter's voice persuasive
By Raymond Zhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-04-11 10:26

There is something soothing and reassuring in Xiang Fei's voice, which was almost drowned out in the hustle and bustle of the crowded T75 train bound to Xi'an from Beijing on Saturday evening.


Yuan Bingtao (L), his hands handcuffed behind his back, enjoys a chat with China National Radio presenter Xiang Fei. [baidu]

But the passenger sitting next to her had no trouble hearing.

Yuan Bingtao, with his hands handcuffed behind his back, was smiling from ear to ear, belying the fact that he is a suspect in a homicide case and was being transported back to his hometown for prosecution. He had been on the run for three years.

Three years ago, the farmer from Liquan County, Shaanxi Province, flew into a jealous rage when he found his wife with another man. He killed the man and wounded his wife.

The decision to turn himself in was at the prompting of Xiang Fei, or more accurately, her midnight phone-in radio show on China National Radio (CNR).

Xiang, hostess of China Night (Shen Zhou Ye Huang), reaches out to night owls, among whom are lonely souls like Yuan. "He's quite intelligent, but he doesn't have a friend to talk to," Xiang revealed to China Daily.

The scene at Beijing West Railway Station on Saturday was almost a repeat performance of another sendoff a month and half earlier, complete with media circus.

Gu Haijun, a native of Sichuan Province, surrendered himself to Xiang Fei after evading capture for almost 13 years. In 1993, the then 19 year old got into a brawl and killed a co-worker over a pair of shoes.

No photos existed of Gu before he left his hometown, making it hard for authorities to post his likeness on the wanted list. In the intervening years, he moved around the country.

Then, one night, he caught Xiang Fei's radio show which made him stop and think: "There are many crossroads in our lives, upon which different choices may lead to varied destinations."

Gu contacted Xiang via mobile phone short messaging and slowly poured his heart out to her.

Several days later, he took a train to Beijing and showed up at the radio station. Xiang and her manager took him to the authorities.

What is it that has made people like Gu Haijun and Yuan Bingtao trust Xiang Fei so much that, literally, they put their lives in her hands?

"I treat them as human beings, equal to myself," said Xiang. "They need someone to listen to them, to care for them and guide them. They have identified with me because they listen to my programme and see me as their friend."

On the train for Xi'an, she noticed that Yuan was not comfortable in his shoes. Since he was handcuffed, Xiang bent down and slipped a pair of cloth shoes onto his feet.

What exactly is her role in the eyes of listeners like Yuan and Gu?

After a long talk on the train, Xiang found that Yuan did not necessarily see her as a "radio show hostess." "People like him don't really know what a journalist does. And they may not have heard of the term 'psychological counselor.' But they need someone who is neutral and will listen to them."

Due to the status of China National Radio, Xiang's listeners tend to consider her "a face of the government," but "much more trustworthy and accessible."

"They have pondered the worst case scenario before they made the decision to turn themselves in," Xiang said. "They are saving themselves. What I do is hold their hands and walk them through the most difficult days of their lives."



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