Sunday Times 2
China’s Xi finally appears in public amid rumours over health
View(s):BEIJING, Sept 15 (Reuters) – China’s leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping appeared in public on Saturday for the first time in about two weeks, visiting a Beijing university in what appeared to be an effort to dispel rumours of serious illness and a troubled succession.
In a brief English-language report, the Xinhua news agency said Vice President Xi “arrived at China Agricultural University Saturday morning for activities marking this year’s National Science Popularisation Day”.
A single picture on the government’s website showed Xi, with a slight smile and wearing a black informal jacket over a white shirt, walking around the university.Sources have told Reuters that Xi hurt his back while swimming earlier this month and that he had been obeying doctors’ orders to get bed rest and undergo physiotherapy.
A Reuters reporter at the university saw a man with sleek black hair wearing a white shirt — who from a distance looked like Xi — getting loud applause as he stepped out of the building housing an exhibition and raised his arms up and down twice in a gesture of vigour.
Hundreds of students applauded, some shouting “Vice President Xi” or even “President Xi”.A roar went up when his car rushed by and Xi waved his hand out the window.
“It was him for sure,” said one student, who had taken a blurry shot of the car on his smart phone. “He must be better.” The student refused to give his name.”He looks well,” wrote one user.”In the future he should take better care when he goes swimming,” added another.
Xi had been out of the public eye for almost two weeks and had skipped meetings with foreign leaders and dignitaries, including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.Chinese government officials repeatedly refused to say what had happened to him, fuelling speculation that has included Xi supposedly suffering a heart attack, a stroke, emergency cancer surgery and even an attempted assassination.
The health of the country’s leaders has long been considered a state secret in China.
Follow @timesonlinelk
Related Posts:
Three Chinese space heroes return to EarthBEIJING, June 30 (AFP) - Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth as heroes on Friday after carrying out China's most ...
China and US ‘secretly tested genetically modified rice on children’China's health authorities are investigating allegations that genetically modified rice has been tested on Chinese children as part of a ...
China’s Defence Minister concludes five-day visitChina’s Minister of National Defence General Liang Guanglie ends his five-day visit to Sri Lanka today. General Guanglie, who arrived ...
Links with China: The potential and the pitfallsCoinciding with the Non Aligned Movement summit today, and in the immediate backdrop of a British Government travel advisory warning ...
Asia-Pacific leaders call for unity at summitVLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept 8 (AFP) -Asia-Pacific leaders called for unity in tackling a raft of economic challenges, as an annual ...