'Minister Jiang, come over to have a few words with us," several young journalists yelled in unison as a gray-haired official in his 60s walked into a meeting at the just-concluded annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

Jiang Weixin, who heads the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction that is at the center of an ongoing public storm over new curbs on the real estate sector, noticed the commotion and raised his hands to salute the press.

"We even shouted 'don't be afraid, you're so handsome', but he walked away in silence," recalled a young woman journalist who tried to draw Jiang into the area designated for the media.