Xi to attend ASEAN meet to dispel health rumours

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping will attend "some other important activities" at an ASEAN expo later this month.

Beijing: Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, who has "resurfaced" after disappearing from public view since Sep 1, will attend "some other important activities" at an ASEAN expo later this month.

The Ninth China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo will be held Sep 21- 25 in Nanning, capital of south China`s Guangxi Zhuang region, Xinhua reported Sunday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei Sunday said Vice President Xi will attend the opening ceremony and "some other important activities".

Xi, who disappeared ahead of a Communist Party congress, Saturday finally made a public appearance, putting to rest wild rumours about his state of health.

He visited the Beijing-based China Agricultural University on the National Science Popularization Day.

The leader had not been seen in public since Sep 1 when he was reported to have given a speech to a school in Beijing.

Since then, there has been considerable speculation following the cancellation of a number of meetings with high-profile foreign dignitaries, including US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton Sep 5.

No official reasons were given for the cancellation of other appointments, including a meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

CNN said the lack of an official comment fuelled rumours, including wild plot lines ranging from a car crash to an assassination attempt. Other reports said Xi was sidelined by a suspected heart attack. None of the rumours were denied or confirmed.

IANS

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