Rudd extends election campaign to China's Weibo   

澳总理陆克文在微博用中文拉选票 署名“老陆”

Photo: screenshot from Weibo.com

(ECNS) -- Using his Sina Weibo account, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Wednesday called on Australians to vote for the Labor Party in the coming election.

Rudd wrote that Australian people need a government to "best lead them through the difficult new economic challenges which now lie ahead," and hopes they will support the Labor Party. He signed these words with Chinese words "Lao Lu" (Senior Lu), a common way of addressing seniors in China. Rudd's Chinese name is Lu Kewen.

He then listed his election announcement, saying he will take steps to manage the economic challenges with moderate budget savings which won't hit jobs.

Rudd also highlighted an investment plan to boost employment, including helping young people who don't finish high school or vocational school; improving the skills of employees in the manufacturing industry; training new staffers to meet the demands of the service industry; and setting up 137 technique training centers.

Rudd has long been active in online social networking. He opened the Sina Weibo account on April 18, 2012, and garnered more than 500,000 Chinese followers. Each of his posts, written in Chinese, receives hundreds, if not thousands, of comments.

Voter dissatisfaction towards Rudd has jumped six points to 54 percent, the worst personal support Rudd has ever had as prime minister, while the Opposition Leader's was 51 percent, down from 52 percent, according to the latest poll on Monday.