The man expected to be the nation's next president, Xi Jinping , said Beijing had adopted a cool approach to the chorus of criticism which marked the country's preparation for the Olympic Games.
On his first international trip since assuming the vice-presidency in March, Mr Xi told a group of Hong Kong reporters in Doha, Qatar - the third leg of a five-nation tour - that the leadership was never bothered by the sometimes messy situation the Olympic torch created on its world journey.
'Whether you like the Beijing Olympics or not, it's not our business,' said Mr Xi, the frontrunner to succeed President Hu Jintao in five years' time.
During its global run, the Olympic torch was greeted by protests, criticism and disruption.
'The world is a big place and you've got all sorts of people and that's why it's so colourful,' Mr Xi said.
'It's like a huge bird cage where all kinds of birds coexist. If you try to drive away those noisy ones, you would lose that wonderful variety and colour. The key is to mind our own business well.'
The trip has placed him under intense media pressure but Mr Xi said he was fine with the stress.