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Subscribe to RSSWhere is China's Vice President? That's the question that can't be answered in Beijing. Even searching for the name of China's Vice President on Chinese social media has been blocked amid increasing rumors about his whereabouts. Xi Jinping has been missing from the public eye for more than week. ITV's Angus Walker reports.
BEIJING -- Weeks before a once-in-a-decade political transition in China, the presumed future leader of China has fallen off the radar -- sparking wild rumors on micro-blogging sites about his health and whereabouts.
Xi Jinping, the man many assume will become the future president of China and chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, has not been seen in public now for more than a week. The 59-year-old was last seen on Sept. 1 while giving a speech at the Central Party School in Beijing.
Since then, Xi has cancelled a series of meetings with senior foreign leaders including Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
After Xi’s meeting with Clinton was cancelled late on the night of Sept. 4, rumors began to swirl around the U.S. press corps travelling with the Secretary that Xi had injured his back.
The Chinese government has since declined to give any updates on Xi’s health and present whereabouts. At yesterday’s regularly scheduled Chinese Foreign Ministry press conference, ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, was asked a series of questions about Xi to which he simply responded, "We have told everyone everything."
China Daily via Reuters
Xi Jinping (right) pictured in Beijing with South Korea's ambassador to China, Lee Kyu-hyung on August 31 - the day before his most recent public appearance.
According to a Reuters reporter who went to the regular Chinese Foreign Ministry press conference Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei was asked if he could confirm that Xi was alive. His response: "I hope you can ask a serious question."
China's president-in-waiting Xi Jinping returns to Iowa
The reticence of Chinese government officials and state media to comment has merely served as grist to the rumor mill, which has had ample material following an unusually eventful year of political intrigue on the mainland.
The very high profile fall of former Chongqing Party boss, Bo Xilai, ripped aside the political curtains and gave the Chinese public a peek at the country’s usually opaque process of governance. Besides systemic corruption and serious political abuses, Bo's downfall also exposed divisive political rivalries at the highest levels of the ruling Communist Party at a time when it was in the thick of choosing its future leadership.
The Three Gorges Hotel and a passenger terminal come crashing down in China to make room for a transportation hub and business center. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
Now, with a new generation of Chinese leaders led by Xi poised to take over when the Communist Party’s 18th Congress meets later this year -- rumored sometime in mid-October -- Chinese regulators are especially cautious about news on their leaders-in-waiting.
News of Xi Jinping has been absent in recent days in Chinese state media and discussion on his whereabouts and condition have been silenced on microblogs like Weibo after Xi's name was blocked by censors. Some articles printed in online sections of foreign news websites were also apparently blocked.
In this news vacuum, rumors have begun to swirl around online about the fate of Xi. Most of the speculation focuses on the belief that Xi has some sort of back problem, with the reason for it ranging from a morning swimming session at Beijing leadership’s center, Zhongnanhai, to an ill-fated soccer game there too.
With wife's conviction, what is next for China's Bo Xilai?
The rumors have also been more nefarious in nature. Boxun.com, a U.S.-based website dealing in Chinese news and political gossip, posted a wild, unconfirmed story that Xi had been injured in a car accident in which his vehicle had been struck by another car driven by military officers loyal to the disgraced Bo Xilai.
Boxun later retracted the story, but it has it not stopped similar unsubstantiated rumors from spreading online, forcing government censors to ceaselessly monitor China’s websphere for content that they characterize as harmful to national stability.
The wife of a disgraced Chinese politician has been given a suspended death sentence for her role in the death of British businessman, Neil Heywood. ITV's Angus Walker reports.
It is not unusual that Chinese leaders would not show up in public for a few days or a week at a time and, of course, Xi could simply appear in public and quickly quash speculation about his health. After all, late last year former Chinese President Jiang Zemin made a rare appearance in public after Hong Kong media speculated that he had died.
More China coverage from NBCNews.com's Behind The Wall
However, Jiang, while still extremely influential in the Party leadership, is not a part of the formal government. As the long-established heir-apparent to Hu Jintao for the Chinese Presidency, Xi is the future.
Whatever the true nature of Xi’s public absence, China’s leadership faces an enormous challenge in reconciling its proclivity for opaqueness with the demands of an increasingly plugged-in society at home and a global audience abroad.
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Leave a Comment:
Xi Jinping is alive. His back problems have caused him to bed rest-take it easy. All this rumour mill chatter about his demise instead of asking wehether he will undergo surgery on his back and if so where. Reliable news sources .
Slow news day? The pic of them imploding 2 buildings reminds me of 11 years ago when buildings were imploded by our government in NY.
Bo Xilai, supporters have him. I bet they free him or whats left of him. If they can save Bo Xilai Wife.
out,
you have a truly good handle because you are out of your mind. How many websites would you like that have debunked your silly superstition that planes and jet fuel and all manner of chemicals within the towers could not have brought them down?
Xi is well and focusing on the forthcoming 18 National People's Congress which will propel him to the top job.
He will resurface to the public limelight soon.
Why should we care?
As a resident of Beijing, every day I get down on my knees and pray that each and every communist party member will immediately be executed.
Worthless bunch of uneducated sadists, that's what they are.
Henrich von Dorf
The forthcoming event is the 18th CPC Party Congress, not the People's Congress.
Theoretically, the People's Congress (to be held in March next year) is the ultimate powerhouse according to chinese constitution, but the real decision is made by the Party Congress (usually held in October) .
I read many of your posting on this forum, and I appreciate them very much.
I wonder if MSDNC knows today is the anniversary of the attack by and murder of 3000 innocent people Muslims on 9/11?
Never forget, Never forgive.
The Chinese have already flooded the web with anonymous/official deniers to calm speculation. It's a back problem or he's gone for a drive in the country or he's visiting his auntee in Mongolia... that kind of stuff.
The ongoing speculation may uncover something the party doesn't want to talk about so it's better to redirect the conversation.
I have noticed a flood of off the wall sounding European names being very diplomatic and explaining the absence. The problem is that the they have used partial names from several countries together and none of them would normally be found together in one name. LOL, Boy their propaganda people use to be much better then that!
Ah, communism. Can't live with it; Can't live...
Dang Zimmerman and Anthony. Time to call in the Texas Searchers. No wait, O.J.'s attorneys aren't around either, hmmmmm.
He became violently ill when one of his aides reminded him that he was scheduled to meet Hilary.
ahh, you so funny I forgot to raff.
Wai Yoo No Raff?
Maybe he went for a swim in that red river.
That demolition video in the middle of the article looked sooooo much like the collapse of the twin towers! As for the absence of the Chinese leader, he probably wanted to avoid meeting Hillary so he had to avoid others too. China is not happy with the US meddling in the SE Asian disputes and US building its presence in the area. It might seem to them comparable to the US position if Russia built its military presence in Cuba and Latin America. A major conflict is building up that will eventually force the EAST and the WEST to confront each other. When that conflict turns violent, I hope to be not around.
you know, china can just rot and fall off the vine.
Some people may say the same for US.
I wish the people in the White House would just disappear
I'll drink to that.
I don't know why we continue to mess with these other countries! Leave them alone. They think they are better and smarter. Forget them. At least they don't let muslims in their country. Thats about the only smart thing I see that they do.
I hope we will learn before its too late. Mind our own business.
Maybe he's hiking the Appalachian Trail with former SC Governor Mark Sanford.......or maybe he's in Argentina attending the wedding of the former Governor. ;-)
Now that is funny!
china is beginning to implode upon itself.
The people of china are beginning to get a real picture of just how CORRUPT their old bull commie leaders really are.
Try as they might, the old bull commie murderers who run the country are beginning to stab each other in the back due to the massive corruption in their governing system of old bull corrupt commies.
The people are sick and tired of working all day and making an equivalent of about $4 a day, while their old bull corrupt commies continue to sit in power chairs and rip off their people.
The old bull corrupt commies make anywhere from a few thousand dollars a day all the way up to millions of dollars each and every day.
Continuing to rip off the country and live in luxury while the normal people have to fight and scavage for every meal they eat.
COME ON ARAB SPRING, SPRING UP IN CHINA.
Is there any other way to implode?
Jim -
They had tried before.........remember what happened in 1989 when they tried it??
He went to Disney World.
probably has a secret meeting with obama and putin to control the world. wish obama left and couldn't find him anymiore, biden would run for cover because he couldn't run a whorehouse
Japan probably bought him.
They say he was already in 'private ownership' anyway, no no big deal.
Why should we be caring about this? These leaders were all programmed to think one way - Lose a stiff, replace and stiff - The political drumbeat will go on in China!!
Yeah, right! I'm sure that he got a stiffie over Hillarity's visit.
I agree with Rah above. These people feed the world and themselves what they want everyone to think. They are like very poor slight of hand magicians to try and get you to not trust what your eyes and ears see and hear. They live in an alternate reality.
Im sure he is safe and well gambling in Vegas...
He's being re-educated for attending the grand opening of the store in Oregon, with it's offensive display!
I'll buy that for a dollar!
Xi Jinping is in his office trying to figure out how to buy what is left of the United States when he takes power.
Xi Jinping was Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission and has knowledge of military matters as well as close relations with the PLA.
In view of the nationalization of the Diayou Island and several islets today by Japan with the backing of the imperialist United States, is viewed as a direct challenge to Chinese territorial sovereignty. This territorial incursion is a serious challenge to China's political and strategic interests and is an attempt by the United States to reverse and contain China's rise in both the political and strategic arenas in Asia and consolidate US hegemony in the region. This is a challenge that will not go without a serious and forceful response from China.
Obama has made a serious blunder in his calculation to embarrass and humiliate the Chinese people.