Speculation over China’s ‘missing’ premier elect

Where is China’s president-in-waiting, Xi Jinping?

Chinese micro-bloggers and overseas websites have speculated as to why the vice president has gone unseen for more than a week. Xi has cancelled meetings with visiting foreign dignitaries, including US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Singapore premier Lee Hsien Loong. Yesterday, it was the Danish prime minister’s turn.

Most online speculation about Xi, 59, has centred on a back problem, possibly incurred when he took a dip last week in the swimming pool inside the Zhongnanhai compound.