BEIJING: China's leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping, whose disappearance from public
view for two weeks this month prompted widespread rumours, on Wednesday met
visiting US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
Xi, flanked by several Chinese
military officers, shook hands with the Pentagon chief in a frenzy of camera
flashes at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, according to
an AFP reporter.
It was Xi's first public meeting
with a foreign dignitary since he re-emerged at the weekend having vanished for
a fortnight at a highly sensitive time, with China gearing up for a
generational handover of power.
The Chinese vice-president looked
relaxed and healthy, and wore a dark blue suit with a pale blue tie.
Xi smiled as he sat next to
Panetta under grand chandeliers with a vast mural on the wall behind them, and
said that seeing the American "reminds me of my visit to the United
States" in February.
"I sincerely wish your visit
will be a good success and I believe that your visit will be very helpful in
further advancing the state to state and military-to-military relations between
our two countries," he added.
Panetta responded that it was an
"honour to have the opportunity to visit with you here" and he looked
forward to discussing promoting security ties between "two great Pacific
nations".
Xi's unexplained disappearance
had attracted global attention, as well as speculation on China's popular but
heavily censored microblogs, with theories about his health ranging from a
backache to a heart attack.
He has been widely tipped to
succeed President Hu Jintao as leader of the ruling Communist Party at a
crucial meeting that is expected to be held later in autumn, before taking over
as head of state in March next year.
During his absence earlier in
September, he cancelled meetings with four foreign dignitaries, including
visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
His first public appearance came
on Saturday, when he was shown on state television visiting a university.
The lengthy footage, along with
reports on the official news agency Xinhua, did not give a reason for his
disappearance.
Foreign ministry officials had repeatedly
avoided questions on the subject.
- AFP/xq/al
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