Daily Lessons from Life 12 September 2012 - China refuses to address absence of leader-in-waiting

"China refuses to address absence of leader-in-waiting - AFP 12 September 2012

BEIJING: China's foreign ministry on Wednesday again refused to answer any questions about Xi Jinping, as concerns about the health of the country's likely next leader mounted.

Vice President Xi has not been seen in public for 12 days and has cancelled meetings with four foreign dignitaries, giving rise to intense speculation about his health and whereabouts, online and in overseas media.

China politics experts say he is likely suffering from a relatively minor health complaint, as anything more serious would have prevented President Hu Jintao from leaving the country to take part in last week's APEC summit. But the government has so far given no explanation for Xi's absence from public view, refusing to answer repeated questions at a daily media briefing held by the foreign ministry.

"I have no information to offer you on this," ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters on Wednesday, echoing similar answers to questions concerning Xi in recent days.

Xi's disappearance from public view has attracted global attention, but China's tightly controlled state-run media has completely ignored the issue, focusing instead on a row over Japan's purchase of the disputed Diaoyu islands.

Xi's last appearance in the state-controlled press was on September 1, when he made a speech at the Communist Party School in Beijing. Since then he has cancelled planned talks with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and also missed meetings with the prime ministers of Singapore and Denmark and a Russian official."

It is not for me to comment how foreign country conducts their internal affairs and business. At the same time, VP Xi is such a pivotal figure in the once a decade leadership transition of the 2nd most powerful economy of the world, it does attract the curious 'intellectual venturing' of mine.

Lessons for me are:

1. when you avoid address a burning question, someone will invent something to explain it;

2. when it involves very public enquiries, saying: "No comments" or "I have no information for you" will not work for sure. It will go back to the likely response mentioned in item 1 above. The only difference is that it will be magnified many times as MANY Individual will be asking the same question and inventing their own reasons!! This is a recipe for disaster!!;

3. this incident also, once again, demonstrates that some countries do not play by an international global standard of handing 'mysterious disappearance of their very public figure'. With such persistent silence, it is very easy for many to think about the 'worst case scenario'. Is this that case? Hopefully not as the smooth and peaceful leadership transition at this time is crucial to providing some semblance of stability and 'certainty' with the Bo Xilai's saga, the 'rumoured attempted coup by the Public Security Minister, etc. If China is unstable, many neighbours will have problems!

May VP Xi be healthy and appear in public quickly to dispel any further rumours about what is going on ...