Rare public appearance by China’s ex-president Hu Jintao
Former leader appears in Sichuan ahead of earthquake anniversary and may have attended university function too
China’s former president Hu Jintao made a rare public appearance in Sichuan on Thursday.
Just days ahead of the anniversary of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Hu was photographed checking on recovery efforts in Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County, along with the county chief Qu Yongan.
Hu did not appear to be travelling with a large security detail; online pictures showed civilians getting close to the former leader and taking pictures on their mobile phones.
Hu may also have made a public appearance at the 104th anniversary celebration of his alma mater, Tsinghua University, on April 26.
A photo posted on WeChat by an alumni appeared to show the guestbook had been signed by Hu and his wife Liu Yongqing.
Before that, Hu’s most recent public appearance was at Hunan University, where the retired leader visited several historic institutions on campus.
Experts said that Hu’s appearance – which comes at the height of President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign – sent a message that he still wielded influence but supported Xi, as former leaders must inform their successor before making any high-profile public appearances.
