Chongqing party secretary Bo Xilai, in his first public comments since his former right-hand man, Wang Lijun, apparently tried to defect in the US consulate in Chengdu more than a month ago, said yesterday he had picked the wrong man for the job.
'After this problem arose, I felt sad. There is negligence on my part when I appointed people,' Bo told journalists at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during a two-hour question-and-answer session after a morning panel discussion by the Chongqing delegation to the annual session of the National People's Congress. 'So this incident is something we need to seriously reflect on.'
He denied rumours that he had tendered his resignation to the Politburo and tried to quell speculation about his conspicuous absence from a plenary session on Thursday.
'About my resignation, that is total fabrication,' he said. 'Yesterday [Thursday], I was coughing and I was not feeling well. I am sorry for making you all worried and guessing.'
Bo's first meeting with the media was followed by friendly gestures from other NPC deputies at a separate meeting.
After the afternoon session, when NPC chairman Wu Bangguo delivered his annual report, some members of the NPC presidium approached Bo and shook his hand, while some deputies in military and police uniforms saluted him.
Among them were the Guangdong-based respiratory disease expert Zhong Nanshan; the party boss of Heilongjiang, Ji Bingxuan; and Dalielihan Mamihan, an NPC standing committee member.